asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if he will state, in respect of each of the past seven years, including estimates for 1977, to date (a) the total amount of public money actually invested in Irish industry by way of grants through his Department and their agencies; (b) the total amount invested in Irish industry from all sources; (c) the total amount of new jobs actually created in Irish industry, as distinct from IDA job projections; and (d) the total amount of new jobs created in semi-State companies.
Written Answers. - Investment and Employment.
344.
(a) Details of grants paid to industry in Ireland through the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy and their agencies in the period referred to are as follows:
|
Year |
£ |
|
1971-1972 (Year ending 31st March) |
26,886,924 |
|
1972-1973 (Year ending 31st March) |
22,746,558 |
|
1973-1974 (Year ending 31st March) |
19,516,914 |
|
1974 (9 months) |
14,330,525 |
|
1975 |
34,807,974 |
|
1976 |
47,707,746 |
|
1977 |
49,544,322 |
(b) Information as to the total amount invested in Irish industry from all sources is not compiled by my Department. However, estimates of gross fixed capital formation in manufacturing industry made by the Central Statistics Office for each of the years 1971 to 1975 inclusive are as follows:
|
Year |
£ million |
|
1971 |
80.7 |
|
1972 |
101.2 |
|
1973 |
119.7 |
|
1974 |
149.8 |
|
1975 |
180 |
Corresponding figures for 1976 and 1977 are not yet available.
(c) There are no official statistics of total jobs created in Irish industry. The Central Statistics Office in their annual census of industrial production computes the numbers engaged in individual sectors of industry. The latest completed census relates to the year 1973. For 1974 onward the best estimate of the annual numbers engaged is the average of the quarterly figures published by the Central Statistics Office from the results of monthly and quarterly inquiries. On the above basis of computation, the following were the total numbers engaged in transportable goods industries in each of the years 1971 to 1977 inclusive:
|
1971 |
207,089 |
(Census of Industrial Production |
|
1972 |
207,955 |
|
|
1973 |
213,645 |
|
|
1974 |
215,900 |
(Average of 4 quarters) |
|
1975 |
201,200 |
|
|
1976 |
201,000 |
|
|
1977 |
205,800 |
(Average of 2 quarters) |
(d) During the period in question the employment pattern in each of the State companies for which I am now responsible varied from year to year and from one company to another. The overall position is that for the companies in question, for example, companies engaged in commercial activities:
ESB
Min Fhéir Teoranta
National Film Studios of Ireland (established in 1975)
Irish Steel Holdings Ltd.
Ceimici Teoranta
Bord na Móna
Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta
any increases in employment that occurred over the period in question were counterbalanced by reductions elsewhere.