asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if timber merchants and building contractors are importing prepared timber into this country; and, if so, if he will state whether, owing to such imports, wood-workers and timber-preparing plant will be left idle, thus causing considerable unemployment in the country.

In the present difficult position regarding timber supplies it is considered desirable to import timber in any form in which it can be procured.

If traders declined to take prepared timber it would not mean that they would get increased supplies of timber in the rough, and consequently the amount of work available for the timber-preparing plants is not, in the present circumstances of scarcity, affected by the importation of prepared timber.

I do not think that the Minister has done himself justice. The position is that certain countries——

Has the Deputy a question to ask?

——allow the export of manufactured timber over and above the raw allocation.

That is right.