asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will indicate the number of new industries in the State since 1st April, 1957, the number of persons employed by them and the total amount of money granted by the Government in respect of them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Industries.
The number of new industries and extensions to existing industrial undertakings which came to the notice of my Department as having commenced production in the period from 1st April, 1957, to 30th April, 1958, is 115. There may, of course, be others of which there is no official record. It would not be possible to give employment figures without a special investigation.
The making of grants for industries is the function either of An Foras Tionscal under the Undeveloped Areas Acts, 1952 and 1957, or of the Industrial Development Authority under the Industrial Grants Act, 1956, as may be appropriate according to the location of the industries. Each of these bodies is required to submit an annual report to be laid on the Table of each House of the Oireachtas, and I do not think that they should be required to supply information other than that included in their annual reports or in advance of the publication of these reports.