asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the total number of jobs created under the Undeveloped Areas Act, 1952 in County Roscommon in each of the last five years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Roscommon Industrial Employment.
28.
The information requested by the Deputy is not available. It is estimated, however, that projects for which grants have been approved by An Foras Tionscal during the last five years will, in due course, provide employment for about 290 workers in County Roscommon.
Did the Minister say he had not the information available — the breakdown of the figures? Could he give the total?
I said 290.
The total amount of money.
The Deputy will have to put down another question.
Is this figure the total number of new jobs created?
Not already created, but, as the projects progress, that is the number who will ultimately be employed.
29.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether in view of the failure of the Undeveloped Areas Act 1952 to promote conditions for the creation of sufficient employment opportunities in the areas which it affects, and the similar failure of private enterprise, he will consider the selection of special centres in which would be promoted large-scale industrial development, which would in turn attract further industries and obviate the need for emigration from these areas, and help to stem the tide of general emigration.
I do not accept the suggestion that the Undeveloped Areas Acts have been a failure. The Acts have been instrumental in providing much valuable employment opportunities in the areas to which they apply.
As announced in the Second Programme for Economic Expansion, the Committee on Industrial Organisation recommended that industrial grants should be administered in a way that would actively promote growth at development centres. The further examination of this recommendation and the related question of encouraging the establishment of industrial estates was referred to a Committee drawn from the public and private sectors. I have recently received the report of this Committee and it is being examined in my Department, in consultation with other Departments concerned.
When the Minister's examination and that of the other Departments is completed, would the Minister act in regard to this proposition?
The Government will then consider it and take whatever action they consider best.
I take it the Minister is aware of the effects in Roscommon and other western counties of the extension of the Undeveloped Areas Acts to the rest of the country?
It is not correct to say that the provisions of the Undeveloped Areas Acts were extended to the rest of the country. The differential between the maximum grants available in the undeveloped areas and the rest of the country still remains.