asked the Minister for Finance why the Third Programme: Economic and Social Development, 1969-72 does not include the designated growth centres arising from the Buchanan Report.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Third Programme: Economic and Social Development.
51.
The Buchanan Report deals with complex matters having far-reaching implications for the national economy. The necessity to give detailed consideration to these matters precluded the possibility of including in the Third Programme information in regard to the designation of growth centres.
52.
asked the Minister for Finance whether he is satisfied with the degree of consultation which took place with industry, business and other interests, prior to the publication of the Third Programme: Economic and Social Development, 1969-72.
Consultations with industry were conducted mainly through the Federation of Irish Industries and by direct contact with many of the larger firms. It was initially envisaged that they would cover about 40 per cent of industrial output, but partly because of the timetable for the Programme's preparation and partly because of the poor representation of industry at the joint discussions, only about half of this coverage was achieved. Trade unions were consulted through the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, who considered joint discussion unnecessary. I do not regard the degree of consultation which took place with either side of industry as fully satisfactory and this is one of the areas of implementation of the Programme to which further consideration is being given. The National Industrial Economic Council is at present considering the institutional arrangements which would best serve these needs.
In the services sector, growth is largely a consequence of growth in the industrial and agricultural sectors, so that the same considerations for preparing projections for the sector do not apply. The main areas of the public sector and, where relevant, other interests such as the banking sector were, however, consulted.
Consultations with agriculture were conducted by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and included discussions in the National Agricultural Council and with farm organisations. These discussions extended to all important facets of the agricultural industry.
An early draft of the programme as a whole was also discussed with the General Purposes Committee of the National Industrial Economic Council. These discussions, which were informal, yielded useful results.