andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the amount of State aid in the form of (a) grants and (b) loans towards the cost of machinery and buildings made available to the Potez Company's proposed factories; and whether any conditions have been attached to such aid.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Aid to Potez Company.
49.
An Foras Tionscal is the only Body for which I have responsibility and which may make grants towards the cost of machinery and buildings to promoters of industry. It is not the practice to disclose details of grants approved by An Foras Tionscal in advance of the publication of this information in the Annual Reports which that Body is required to submit to me and which are duly laid before each House of the Oireachtas.
No guarantee under the Trade Loan (Guarantee) Acts was given to the Company referred to in the question.
Is there no obligation imposed on this group in so far as their production is concerned to limit them to equipment and to machines that cannot be used for war-like purposes?
I am afraid I am not aware of any such obligation or of the existence of any such arrangement as the Deputy suggests.
I should like to alleviate public uneasiness on this subject. Is the Minister aware that this firm has contracts with NATO and that the question of fulfilling these contracts will arise by utilising——
This firm has two commitments—one, to make internal oil heaters, which would be located in Galway, and two, to make a commercial executive type of plane, to be located at Baldonnel. It is only on that basis and no other that negotiations have been entered into with this firm.
If the Minister is quite satisfied that there is no question whatever of money being made available——
I do not know where the Deputy gets his fancy ideas.
I should like the Minister to satisfy the public mind.
I have never heard of any public uneasiness about this. The Deputy professes to represent the public mind by thinking up fanciful ideas.
(Interruptions.)
Is it the Magister or the Fouga that will be manufactured?
I do not know anything about these two designs but it is the Potez 840.