asked the Taoiseach the amounts and value of upper and sole leather imported in each of the years 1970, 1971 and 1972 to date.

Imports of upper leather, so far as they can be distinguished in the official import statistics, in 1970 amounted to 4,401,189 sq. ft. valued at £931,670 and in 1971 to 4,748,670 sq. ft. valued at £1,054,605. Import figures for sole leather are not distinguished in the import list. The January, 1972, figures are not yet available.