asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will give, in respect of each firm or company that has received a grant paid directly by his Department or by a State body such as An Foras Tionscail (a) the name of the firm or company, (b) the amount of the grant, (c) the name of the accountants acting for the company, and (d) the name of the solicitors acting for the company.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Grants.
13.
The Deputy's question as phrased would relate to all grants, without limitation of time or kind, ever given by my Department or by Statesponsored bodies which are my responsibility. The number of these grants could run into many thousands—there have been over three thousand within the last two years alone. To extract, where it is available, the detailed information sought by the question would require a search of the papers which would take many weeks to complete and which would not be justifiable.
The Deputy will, of course, be aware that the annual reports of An Foras Tionscal give the information sought at (a) and (b) in his question and that I have supplied similar information from time to time in regard to technical assistance grants.
As regards (c) and (d) of the question, I have asked for information in respect of industrial grants for a period chosen at random and am informed that in the 18 months period ended November, 1966, there were 50 cases in which An Foras Tionscal made an initial payment under the Undeveloped Areas Acts and the Industrial Grants Acts. The position as regards the engagement of accountants by the industrial promoters in these 50 cases was that one firm of accountants acted in six cases, two firms acted in five cases each, two firms acted in three cases each, three firms acted in two cases each, and in the remaining 22 cases, the accountants acted only for a single applicant. The corresponding information in relation to solicitors is that one firm acted in five cases, two firms acted in three cases each, four firms acted in two cases each, and in the remaining 31 cases the solicitors acted only for a single applicant.
If the Deputy would care to put down a further question seeking information under these heads in relation to any particular type of grant given over any other specific period of time, I shall endeavour within the limits of practicality to supply it.
So far, however, as the names of the accountants and solicitors are concerned, while I personally would have no objection to giving this information if the Deputy insists upon it and wherever it is available to me, I would feel it incumbent upon me to consult with the Councils of the Incorporated Law Society and of the various bodies of accountants before reaching a conclusion as to the propriety of my doing so.