MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, in view of future contracts for slates for barrack buildings in Ireland, he will consider the propriety of giving a preference to the Killaloe slate quarries in the interest of promoting Irish industry, provided their slates are found to satisfactorily compete with those of the Welsh quarries as to price and quality?
§ MR. BRODRICKIn all building work in Ireland for military purposes 553 Irish materials are used, as far as possible, when they can be obtained of sufficiently good quality; and if Killaloe slate is found equal to Welsh slate we shall be most happy to use it.