asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that the newspaper industry is going through a critical period economically, due to rising costs of newsprint, labour, power, etc.; and if he will have the whole position examined sympathetically before some newspaper organisations are forced to close down their operations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Newspaper Industry Costs.
19.
No positive information as to the financial state of the newspaper industry is available to my Department. The Committee on Industrial Progress in the course of its survey of the Paper Products, Printing and Publishing Industry, examined the position in the national and provincial newspaper sectors and recommended that these sectors should be eligible for re-equipment grants. The Industrial Development Authority have accepted the committee's recommendation as far as provincial newspapers are concerned and I am informed that a number of firms have applied for these grants. The question of extending the re-equipment grants scheme to daily newspapers is under consideration.
Does the Minister accept that the closure of a newspaper in any part of Ireland can have serious consequences for the people of the country? Am I to take it from the Minister's reply that he is passing over this matter glibly?
No.
Is the Minister not aware that provincial newspapers are finding it very difficult to continue in business, due to declining populations in rural areas and for other reasons? Will the Minister not treat this matter in a serious way?
The Minister is treating this matter seriously. In fact, we regarded the matter as so serious that we had a complete investigation carried out into the newspaper industry, both from the provincial and national point of view. Arising from the recommendations made, the IDA are assisting provincial newspapers with re-equipment grants and are considering the possibility of assisting the national papers in a similar way. In addition, the report made recommendations to the newspaper industry regarding how they could help themselves. This is a twoway business. The recommendations could also be looked at from the point of view of the newspapers.