andMr. P. Barry asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of workers declared redundant in the Cork area in the past 12 months; the percentage this is of the national total; and what steps the Government intends taking to reverse the trend.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Redundant Cork Workers.
88.
Mr. L. Burke
According to the records in the Department of Labour, 848 workers in Cork city and county qualified for redundancy payments in the year ended 30th September, 1971. This figure represents 12.2 per cent of the national total for that period.
In regard to the steps the Government are taking to remedy the situation, as I informed Deputy Creed in answer to a similar question on the 4th November, 1971, the Government provide generous incentives to attract new industries and to strengthen existing industries. The up-to-date position as indicated by the Industrial Development Authority is that there are nine new industrial projects in the pipeline for the Cork area, i.e., within a 20-mile radius of the city, with an employment potential at full employment of 1,450. In addition, 45 applications for expansion of existing manufacturing concerns are under consideration.
Is the Minister aware that the Cork Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Cork Council of Trade Unions, recently carried out a survey in Cork and that it showed a most alarming situation, that twenty-three per cent of redundancies for the whole of Ireland were in the Cork area? If so, surely the Minister and the Government can take immediate steps to alleviate the situation?
I have just said that the figure represents 12.2 per cent of the national total.
Did the Minister say 12.2 per cent for 872 redundancies?
I did not say 872. I said 848.
That means that there have been 10,000 redundancies in the past 12 months in Cork. Is that correct?
No. Multiply 800 by eight.
I am sorry. It is 7,000. And the Minister for Labour's figure is under 4,000?
I do not think the Deputy will find that my figures clash with those of the Minister for Labour.
I think they do. These figures were produced by the Cork Council of Trade Unions and the Chamber of Commerce, jointly. These are two responsible bodies and they would not fabricated figures. They would not go out on a limb over redundancies in Cork unless they were quite sure of their facts. They are genuinely concerned about the situation in Cork at the moment and they have asked the six TDs in Cork to try to get some immediate short-term solution for this problem. Has the Minister anything in mind in that regard?
I have already indicated the plans the IDA have for the employment of 1,450 people in new industries. This is the projection. What are the figures mentioned by the Deputy?
In the 31 firms that replied to our circular, 877 were redundant in the last 12 months.
My figure is 848. It is not in contradiction.
The 23 per cent would seem to correspond with the Minister for Labour's figure rather than with the Minister's.
My information is from the Minister for Labour. I have just said that. According to the records of the Department of Labour, 848.
You could both be right. A number might not qualify for redundancy payment and therefore would not be included in the record of the Minister for Labour.
There is a difference of 30.
Yes, but the percentages are still wrong.
Yes, they are way out, because the population of the County Cork area is about 12 per cent of the national population, so the redundancy is quite on a par with the national position.
I am sure the Taoiseach has passed on to the Minister the circular from the Chamber of Commerce to the Trade Union Council.
The Taoiseach will ensure that the Minister will not neglect Cork.
Did the Minister hear the comment on the radio last week by Louis Marcus that he never found himself discriminated against because he was a Jew but did find himself discriminated against because he was a Corkman. I hope the same does not apply in the IDA.
I do not know to which programme the Deputy is referring but if it was on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night, I certainly did not hear it.
Could the Minister introduce immediately a special emergency plan to channel new industries to Cork? He is talking about nine short-term industries.
The figures indicate that the situation in Cork is no different from the situation throughout the country.
The rest of the country must be in a bad way because the rest of the country feels that Cork is doing very well.
That is my point and it was the point made by Mr. Marcus. The Minister says that there are 1,000 jobs in the pipeline?
Fourteen hundred.
Only one factory has been opened in Cork in the last seven years. There are lots in the pipeline but the pipeline is not jobs for the people.
That is the smelter plant?
No, the smelter is not open. This is one of the things the Minister is talking about when he refers to the pipeline.
The Minister is passing the buck.
There is an allegation by the Deputy that the Minister is passing the buck. I am trying to be practical. When that Deputy gets lost for words, he has a go at the Minister.
If you are going to be practical you would get plenty of co-operation from this side in providing jobs for Cork people.
We appreciate that.
That goes for the Wexford people too.
The last question was about Tullamore.