asked the Minister for Finance whether he will consider utilising slates produced in County Cork at competitive prices for the roofing of schools and other public buildings in that county.

If adequate quantities of suitable local slates were available at reasonable price, the Commissioners of Public Works would be happy to use them on schools and other public buildings.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware that adequate supplies of slates are available but the slate quarry company is not even asked to quote, where roofing of public building is concerned? Is the Parliamentary Secretary now giving the House an assurance that in future the company will be asked to quote for all public buildings requiring roofing?

Let them go after the business themselves.

They have gone after the business themselves again and again, but they are either completely excluded or excluded to a great extent.

There is no such exclusion. I understand they have been given opportunities in the past and they failed to conform with the specifications and standard required. There is no exclusion whatever.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the standard of the commodity supplied is always reasonable and has never been condemned? Is he further aware that the Office of Public Works have ignored representations made by the company to permit them to quote for supplies required in County Cork? In other words, irrespective of the price at which they would get the slate, they would not use it.

There is no exclusion. Slate has been used on a number of occasions.