asked the Minister for Economic Planning and Development if he has formulated any plans for implementing a regional development strategy; and, if not, why.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers . - Regional Development Strategy .
22.
: The Government are strongly committed to a comprehensive regional development strategy which they consider has an important role to play in supporting and completing the economic and social objectives set out in their recent White Paper on National Development 1977-1980. The last statement of policy in this area was that issued in 1972, by the then Fianna Fáil Government.
Since then regional issues have tended to be ignored, despite the changed economic and social conditions obtaining in the different regions. In view, therefore, of my statutory responsibilities for regional planning, I shall be presenting to the Government a review of the 1972 statement along with any necessary proposals for future action in this area.
Finally, I should mention that the Government are convinced that, for regional development to be effective, there must be appropriate regional institutions having the support and involvement of local communities. They have, therefore, and as a complement to the policy review which I have just mentioned, decided to reactivate the study on the organisation of Government functions at sub-national level and have requested the inter-departmental committee conducting the study to submit urgently an interim report on the most appropriate institutional arrangements for regional planning and development.
: Is the Minister aware of the dire need for co-ordination of the activities of the various State and semi-State agencies at regional level? For example, in the mid-west region at the moment there is the IDA, SFADCo, the county development team, the RDOs and so on. Is the Minister aware of the need for co-ordination and, if so, does he envisage a function being assigned to the RDOs in this respect?
: I am so aware and that is why I referred in my reply to the re-activation of the study on the organisation of Government functions at sub-national level and why I have requested urgently an interim report to deal specifically with the arrangements for regional programmes. In that context work has already begun in the Department, defining both the policy options and the issues to be resolved. With reference to the mid-west region, I take it the Deputy is aware that on an experimental basis we have assigned a different role to SFADCo with regard to acting as a development agency for stimulating local business enterprise. We are willing to undertake further pilot experiments in the coming months and years.
: Will the Minister agree that a vital element in regional development is the matter of regional institutions for co-ordinating activities between the various Departments? There is a lot of duplication and overlapping and I am concerned about that. Does the Minister accept the need for some co-ordinating agency at regional level?
: There must be appropriate regional institutions but I would not like to anticipate the form they would take.
: Do I take it that the Minister is in agreement with giving statutory recognition?
: I did not say that.
: Is the Minister not in a position at this stage to state whether or not they will have statutory recognition?
: That is right.
: Could we anticipate that when the operations of what the Minister calls reactivating all those scrutinies are completed the Government will have what can be described as a regional policy which will be capable of concise statement on half a sheet of paper? I have a special reason for asking that and I will explain in a moment when I hear the Minister's reply.
: I do not know about putting it on a half sheet of paper. My recollection is that we put the 1972 statement on about four or five sheets of paper.
: Is the Minister aware that the House passed the Committee Stage of a Bill to regulate the formation of mergers, amalgamations and takeovers in which one of the criteria on which this control will be exercised is the impact of a proposed merger on national regional policy? I asked the Minister what was the national regional policy and he referred me to this Minister. I now want to know if that policy, when it emerges, will be concise enough to make any sense to a businessman.
: That is a totally separate question. One very often needs to take more than a half page to make something comprehensible to a businessman. If the Deputy wishes to table a specific question I will deal with it.