asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of firms which to date have availed themselves of the IDA research and development grants for industry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - IDA Grants.
27.
Research and Development grants have been approved by the IDA to date in respect of 23 firms.
Question No. 28.
May I ask the Minister in regard to Question No. 26——
We are dealing now with Question No. 28.
I started to ask a second supplementary question on Question No. 26 but I did not get any reply. May I put a question to the Minister?
I will allow the Deputy to put a question.
Is the Minister aware that the senior executives of the IDA have had no option but to proceed with their own industrial regional planning, such as setting up area offices and so on, in the absence of any Government direction or policy in this matter?
The senior executives of the IDA have been given a free hand with regard to making arrangements for preparing plans for industrial regional development. This has been done with a view to making the best use of the resources available. When the plans have been prepared, as I have indicated in my reply and as I have indicated in my supplementary answer, they will be considered by the Government in the context of regional policy as a whole. When this has been done the reports will be presented.