Vol. 255 No. 19
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he has received a resolution from the Enniscorthy urban district council asking that Enniscorthy be made a designated area for the purpose of industrial grants; if he has been asked to take action to stimulate industrial activity and job opportunity in the town; and what action he proposes to take in this matter.
31.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of the need for an industry in Enniscorthy, County Wexford; and if he is prepared to make it a designated area.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 31 together.
In reply to Deputy Corish I have received copies of two such resolutions. I am not satisfied, however, that the situation in the area warrants its declaration as a designated area for industrial grants purposes. The Government provide generous incentives towards the promotion of industry in all areas. Grants in excess of a quarter of a million pounds have been approved by the Industrial Development Authority for projects in Enniscorthy, with an additional employment potential of over 300 persons.
Can the Minister say whether he has received representation from the two Fianna Fáil Deputies in the constituency?
I have. I am especially aware of the fact that I have been receiving strong representations from the local Fianna Fáil Deputy in Enniscorthy in this matter and I know that, together with a group of local people who are very interested, he is pressing strongly for industrial development in that area.
In other words, the Minister does not accept the submission of Deputy Seán Browne that it needs to be declared a designated area because of the lack of employment there?
That is a convenient way the Deputy has of putting the matter.
I am putting the matter very bluntly but will the Minister answer bluntly?
I will and say that there are many other areas in the country that are not designated, including my own constituency, where the people are pressing strongly to have it so designated. Question No. 29, which was put down by Deputy Enright, asked whether I had decided to designate Laois as a result of a deputation from Laois County Council. That was dealt with in the same way, but the reply was drowned by the noise a few minutes ago.
What about Offaly? Did the Minister say "No"?
I was not asked about Offaly.
The question referred to Laois and Offaly.
There were two questions.
Is it the intention of the Minister to designate Laois?
I have already replied to the question.
We did not hear the reply.
As I understand the position, £7 million is being made available for the designated areas. There is a large measure of unemployment in Enniscorthy and, consequently, it would seem that we are entitled in that area to some distribution of this fund as against other areas. Would the Minister not agree that the dividing of this £7 million is ostensibly for the purpose of counteracting unemployment and since such a situation exists in Enniscorthy is there any reason whatsoever why we should not receive some of this money?
I have not set out any reasons why Enniscorthy, no more than any other part of the country, should not receive grants. I did say in my reply that already the IDA had allocated a grant in excess of £250,000 for industrial development in Enniscorthy. I know a number of towns in the country of a size similar to Enniscorthy that have not got anything like that amount of money by way of industrial development grants.
Is the Minister aware of the progressive increase in unemployment in Enniscorthy and the other Wexford towns during the past three years?
I am aware of an increase in unemployment in Enniscorthy but I have no figures available to me.
And Wexford, and Gorey and New Ross.
I am calling Question No. 32.
Can the Minister say what justifies designating an area?
In the main the designated areas are the western counties, the old congested districts and included also are the countries I enumerated in reply to an earlier question.
The reply was drowned by Deputy Blaney's supplementaries.
No, obviously they were drowned because of the Deputy's interest in something else.
The question could have been answered in the form of a written reply.
Exactly.
