asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if his attention has been drawn to the meeting of Dublin City Council held on 28th February which stressed the economic plight of the city; and the action he proposes to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Economic Situation.
4.
I am aware of Dublin City Council's recent discussion of the employment difficulties in the city and, indeed, this is a problem which has been engaging my active attention for a considerable time past.
Over the past 18 months the Industrial Development Authority have, with my agreement, taken a number of initiatives designed to boost industrial employment in Dublin. Dublin is now being widely promoted as a location for large and medium-sized projects, and furthermore the small industries programme has been extended to Dublin for certain selected sectors. Construction of a 70,000 sq. ft. advance factory has begun at Finglas and work on a similar-sized unit at Coolock will commence within the next few months. In addition, the IDA are having discussions with the corporation about the possibility of acquiring land in Dublin city which could be developed for industrial projects.
In all of these initiatives emphasis will be placed on attracting projects which would be likely to build up employment quickly.
The Parliamentary Secretary fails to realise the urgency of this matter. There are 33.000 people unemployed in Dublin at the moment and this figure is rising. The Parliamentary Secretary said he has been working on this matter over the past year or so. The fact that the figures are rising on the unemployment register shows that his efforts so far are not having the desired effect. Would he consider making Dublin a special area for special attention to prevent more people going on the unemployment list? Thousands of young people will be leaving school in a few months' time and they will not be able to get employment. Would the Parliamentary Secretary consider zoning Dublin as an area which needs immediate remedial treatment by way of capital injection to the corporation so that they can carry on their building programme and provide much needed employment and much needed houses?
Undoubtedly the Deputy will be aware that the traditional policy of the IDA during the tenure of office of previous Governments was one of concentrating development outside Dublin. It is only in recent years, and as a result of discussions between the Minister and the IDA, that certain initiatives have been taken to redress the balance in favour of Dublin. Perhaps I might mention these measures briefly. Dublin is now being promoted as a location for large and medium sized industrial projects. A decision has been taken to build the advance factories I mentioned. The small industries programme has been extended to Dublin for the following sectors: chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics and precision engineering. Furthermore, a service industries programme has been initiated and this has particular relevance to Dublin because it involves export-oriented activities by people such as architects, quantity surveyors, processing and consulting engineers, and computer service companies. In the service industries programme 83 per cent of the jobs already created were created within the Dublin region. In general I can tell the Deputy it is the intention to increase substantially the job target for the Dublin area as a result of the measures the Minister has encouraged the IDA to take in this context.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that during our time in office Dublin was regarded as an over-developing area? Not until it was hit by the blight of this Government did it become a distressed area. At that time industries were promoted for the undeveloped areas which were outside Dublin. The Government have created the Dublin we now know which is distressed.
Dublin has been facing problems in common with cities in other parts of the world in the face of the recession. The Government have taken measures which I have outlined to counteract in the Dublin city area the effects—and they are undoubtedly severe effects in some cases—of the world recession.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that in the Ballyfermot area where 1,700 people are unemployed, while the national average is 12 per cent, it is 23 per cent in that area? Could some immediate remedial measures be taken to ensure that the people who are unemployed in the Ballyfermot area get some immediate relief? The average there is twice the national average. Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that, within the perimeter of the city, it is not possible to locate the type of chemical works and other works he has mentioned? It is not possible to provide chemical plants which would absorb the 33,000 unemployed mentioned by Deputy Moore and, indeed, the 1,700 unemployed in the Ballyfermot area.
Order. That is a very long question.
The categories of industry that I mentioned, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics and precision engineering are categories in respect of which the small industries programme has been extended to the Dublin area. It is probably possible to find within the city area sites for small industries in that context. Indeed, small industries are particularly suitable in general for centre city areas. I also mentioned in the reply that the IDA is taking initiative to acquire sites for industry in the centre city area.
(Dublin Central): Could the Parliamentary Secretary give any indication of the number of new jobs created in Dublin city over the past two years?
The situation is that in regard to grant commitments made by the IDA since 1973-74 the job potential of the industries in question approved from that year up to 1976— and not all job potential will have been reached in all these cases because they are stage developed—representing a capital expenditure by the IDA of £16 million is, 10,143.
What special measures will be taken now to ensure that school leavers will have job opportunities——
That question has already been asked.
(Dublin Central): Could the Minister indicate the number of redundancies that have taken place in Dublin during the same time?
These seem to be separate questions.
(Dublin Central): It is a very important question.