asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will ensure that native stone will be utilised in all State, semi-State or State-grant-aided projects where granite is specified.

This question concerns several other Departments as well as my own. It is not possible to prescribe by official measures that Irish granite shall be utilised in all State, semi-State or grant-aided projects where granite is specified, as our Community obligations would preclude us from doing so. So far as my Department are concerned, I would certainly expect that native granite is used in grant-aided projects where granite is required.

8.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether grants are made available through the IDA for the development and processing of granite.

Grants are available from the IDA for suitable projects for the processing of granite for the monumental and cut stone markets. Grants are not given towards primary quarrying operations such as the extraction of granite.