asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if a record is kept of the number of timber retail outlets which stock native sawn timber and the demand for this timber.

My Department do not compile records of such retail outlets. However, I can tell the Deputy that the level of demand for native timber nowadays would be about 40 per cent of the market.

Is the Minister aware that many retail outlets carry a very meagre stock of softwood timber? Will the Minister not agree there is need for greater promotion of native timber? We are making very little headway so far as import substitution is concerned in connection with this matter.

I do not accept that little progress has been made. Since 1980 the share of the market held by Irish sawmills has doubled. This indicates that inroads are being made into the Irish market and that Irish timber is now being established as a commodity as good as if not better, in many cases, than the imported product. The problem here is that we have not enough to meet our demands. There is, after all, a 40 per cent shortfall in our capacity to supply timber to the industry.

Would the Minister not agree that, if there is not enough to go around, it is very strange that the majority of the produce in the constituency which I represent goes across the Border for sawing, coming back in as timber products or as sawn plank timber?

The Deputy will realise that in so far as exports to the North are concerned I can do little about that. We apply a tender system and because the North is a member of the EC, the same as we are, I cannot apply any restrictions in relation to exports of timber from there.

Does the Minister not know that the tender system is primitive? I have already raised that matter in the House.

It is a tender and quota system, Deputy. This is the subject of a report and recommendations to be published within the next few days.

That is what the Minister said the last time.

The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.