asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if there are any new developments in the unfortunate situation with regard to Potez Limited and Potez Aerospace Limited whereby a huge State capital investment and huge State grants totalling £1,319,000 have resulted in only a token employment of very few by these companies.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Potez Companies.
171.
As I have previously told the Deputy, I am keeping in close touch with Potez Aerospace Ltd. in regard to making its facilities at Baldonnel available for sub-contracting work for manufacture of aircraft components. Since sub-contract work commenced, employment at the factory has increased substantially and the company has successfully completed initial contracts. I am not in a position to say anything further in the matter at the moment.
Surely the Minister knows we have been keeping in close touch for the past three years? Is there any possibility or probability of aeroplanes being made in this factory or substantial employment being given, as was originally envisaged when the grants were being given to the factory?
There is a possibility of aeroplanes being made there but it seems to me that in the short term, the prospects lie in the sub-contracting field. Employment which in the early stages of last year was 40, at the end of the year, was 150 and should increase fairly substantially from that figure in the coming year, if everything goes according to plan.
Which plan?—the original one?
I should say that employment will reach 900 in a few years' time and this is independent of the building of aircraft.
Surely the Minister will remember that on his Estimate he said there was no prospect of aircraft being built there but that he thought present operations there would expand. Has anything changed since then to suggest there will in fact be aircraft built there?
The answer to that is "yes".