Vol. 268 No. 12
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of inquiries which have been received from industries in relation to their location in the Ballingarry area of County Tipperary; and whether any industries will be established there as a result of such inquiries.
34.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will indicate the reasons for the delay in establishing industry in the Ballingarry area, County Tipperary, where there is widespread unemployment since the closure of the coal mines; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 34 together.
I understand that the Industrial Development Authority have received seven inquiries from promoters interested in establishing in the Ballingarry area. These include the expansion of Carroll System Building Ltd. Ballingarry, which has been approved by IDA, and has a potential of 35 extra jobs; a project to employ 80 men initially at Callan which is under negotiation at present, and two small industry projects to employ six persons which have also been approved for the area. In addition, the IDA have included the Ballingarry area on the itineraries of 20 industrial promoters in the past year, but no definite proposal for the area has been received as a result of these visits. The IDA have acquired industrial sites in Callan and Fethard, and have now decided to build advance factories in these locations as a further incentive to industrial development in the Ballingarry designated area.
While, as I have indicated, some progress has been made in generating new jobs in the Ballingarry area, I am concerned to encourage more rapid development. The building of the two advance factories and the higher grant facilities available because the area has been classified as a designated area should help to make the area attractive to industrialists.
Can the Minister state if the manager of this coalmine offered to erect a factory in that area?
I am not aware of that. I have no information concerning that matter in my brief, but if the Deputy puts down a question to me I will reply to it.
I do not think I will. We listened to a lot of "rot" when the south Kerry by-election took place.
We cannot have a statement on the matter.
