asked the Minister for Finance if he has any plans to provide greater scope to the county development teams; and if he considers their present terms of reference to be broad enough to enable them to cope with the industrial needs of each region.
Written Answers. - County Development Teams.
286.
The terms of reference of the county development teams in the western counties embrace all forms of ecomomic development. I have no plans to expand the terms of reference because I consider that they are already sufficiently broad nor have I had any recommendation from the Central Development Committee, who co-ordinate the activities of the teams, that they should be expanded. Industrial development in the west, as in the country at large, is primarily a matter for the Industrial Development Authority. The Authority's Small Industries Programme is administered in the Mid-West region by SFADCo, with whom the teams in Clare and West Limerick have a close working relationship. In the remaining western counties, the teams and their development officers act as local agents for the IDA in relation to the programme. I am satisfied that industrial development in the west has not been inhibited by the terms of reference of county development teams.
The roles of the teams and development officers in small industry development is under review at present. In the context of this review consultations are in train involving, inter alia, the Central Development Committee, the teams and the IDA.