asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether the Shannon Free Airport Development Company have had to curtail their promotional work during the past year owing to a reduction in the financial allocations; and, if so, if he will state the amount of the reduction; the reasons for it; its consequences in relation to the company's projected employment targets; and whether it is proposed to increase the financial allocation to the company.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Shannon Free Airport Development Company.
10.
Owing to financial stringency, the annual grant-in-aid voted by Dáil Éireann for the Shannon Free Airport Development Company was fixed at £350,000 for the year 1966-67 as compared with £430,000 in 1965-66. This involved some reduction in promotional work during 1966-67. The grant-in-aid for the current year has been increased by £150,000 and the company is increasing promotional expenditure accordingly. Levels of employment at the Airport cannot be related directly to the level of promotional expenditure in any particular year and there is no evidence that the cut-back in promotional expenditure during 1966-67 has affected the company's projected employment targets.
Since the end of the period covered by the company's last annual report, nine new firms have been established at Shannon with an employment potential of 854.
Could the Minister say if it is a fact that as a result of the reduction in the allocation to the Shannon Development Company, the employment target projected for 1966-67 of an increase of 500 in employment was not achieved and that the net increase in employment was only 81?
I have not got the exact figures but the employment there at the moment is about 3,360.
My information is that the reduction in the allocation had a serious effect on the employment situation there and that the projected target of an increase of 500 was reduced to 81.
It is quite evident that with the coming of these new factories, progress will be made fairly rapidly again, other things being equal, such as the present international trade situation and so on.
Could the Minister look into the matter for me?
I do not see what I have to look into. We have restored the grant-in-aid and it was increased this year by £150,000 compared with the previous year. Therefore, the Shannon Free Airport Development Company have funds with which to pursue promotion. I have no evidence that they lack funds to pursue promotion to secure factories for the area. A great number of factories is to be established there in the course of the next few months.