asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the number of occasions since 31 July 1978 on which the Industrial Development consortium have met; the dates of such meetings, if any; and the matters to which the consortium is lending impetus.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Development Consortium.
9.
The Industrial Development consortium met once since 31 July 1978, on 29 November 1978. Representative matters to which the consortium are giving impetus are the further development and diversification of the activities of State-sponsored industries, the development of the timberprocessing, fish-farming and processing, and agricultural products processing industries, manufacturing aspects of the telecommunications services and the tool-making industry. They have also given attention to the identification of new products suitable for production in this country. On the industrial training side impetus has been given by the consortium to the advance industrial units scheme which is being established on a pilot basis and in which five bodies represented on the consortium are involved. As I pointed out in reply to a related question on 8 November, various subgroups of the consortium are carrying out studies of methods to encourage growth in industrial activities and to remove obstacles to development in particular industries.
Do these subgroups to which the Minister refers consist of civil servants?
For the most part yes, in many cases they are officials of semi-State bodies.
Are there any exceptions to that generality? Have any outsiders been brought in?
I do not know the make-up of all the subgroups, there might be, but I am not aware if that is so.
Would it be unfair to ask the Minister if he is aware of a single exception to that generality—that the subgroups are made up of officials or people in semi-State bodies?
I am not personally aware, but there might be such a case.
Would that not be their job in the ordinary course of events, to keep an eye on those sectors of industry which fall within the areas the Minister mentioned?
No. They are doing it in a different way here. Each of them would be acting individually in the course of their normal jobs. They are acting as a group here where they have the benefit of consultation with one another.
Do they not have that facility anyway? Is that not what the telephone is for? Is there anything special about this structure which was trumpeted at the time of the election?
The people concerned find it very helpful that they have a forum in which they can discuss these matters. Many things have been done which would not have been if this forum had not existed.
Have they an address?
Yes.
What is it?
They meet in the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy.
Have they any permanently attached executive? Have they even a telephone number?
Is this the eleventh or twelfth supplementary on your count, a Cheann Comhairle?
Is it a matter of acute embarrassment to the Minister— would he agree that it should be a matter of embarrassment to him—that in the past 20 months this notorious body, with no address, no known personnel, has met not more than, at the most, seven times?
They have met once in the last seven months.
In view of the fact that this consortium figured very largely in the Government's major industrial development programme, would he agree that he would be well advised to abolish——
They met six times in less than 12 months, which is more than I anticipated they would need to meet.
Surely the Minister would agree that any body charged with——
We are not getting any further information. Question No. 10.
Would the Minister agree that any body concerned with major industrial promotion that meets only every three or four months is not to be taken seriously and should be abolished? It is purely a cosmetic exercise.
They have met six times in 11 months.
Six times in 11 months?
Yes, and serve a useful purpose.
Does that indicate urgency?