asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if Irish biscuit manufacturers have made representations to have restrictions placed on the importation of foreign biscuits.

I have received representations of the nature to which the Deputy refers. The position is that the EEC Commission recently indicated that measures would be authorised by them which would have the effect of assisting Irish biscuit manufacturers to compete both on the home and export markets with biscuits of foreign manufacture. The exact details of these measures are at present being worked out.

In view of the fact that the Minister has received representations from Irish biscuit manufacturers in relation to the importation of foreign biscuits, can the Parliamentary Secretary indicate why the same biscuit manufacturers import biscuits made in Great Britain?

That is a repetition of the supplementary asked on the previous question.

This is a different question. The Minister has received representations from biscuit manufacturers in Ireland in relation to restrictions on the importation of biscuits but the same people are importing biscuits, under their own brand name, from England. Will the Minister investigate this situation?

I have told the Deputy that I am having this matter investigated. But the Deputy will appreciate that, even if firms are importing a certain range of biscuits and selling them under their own brand name, it does not take away from the fact that they may be manufacturing large amounts of biscuits here. There is the desirability of protecting the employment involved in that latter operation, in spite of any importation that may be taking place by the same firm.

In view of the fact that the biscuit manufacturers here do not appear to have the capacity to manufacture the biscuits required for home consumption, has any application been made to the IDA for assistance to expand their plants so that Irish workers can be employed in the manufacture of biscuits which Irish housewives are anxious to purchase?

I do not wish to be drawn into any detailed comment on this matter until I have made the investigation I said I would undertake. I am sure the Deputy is aware that the biscuit market is a very diverse one and that people may require a certain small amount of a particular type of biscuit which it would not be possible perhaps to manufacture here. In the interests of specialisation and the economies of scale it may be necessary for Irish manufacturers to concentrate on particular lines.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that if there are defects in the biscuits manufactured in Great Britain by Bolands the defective packages are sent back to Tallaght in County Dublin for rectification?