asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism if the Response from Industry Group have had any meetings recently with either himself or officers of his Department; and, if so, if they indicated their job creation plans for 1981.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Job Creation Plans.
5.
The Response from Industry Foundation are private organisation and I have no responsibility for their functions. Meetings of the type referred to by the Deputy have not taken place.
Will the Minister of State tell the House if any Minister met this body recently?
Yes, the Minister had a meeting with the foundation.
I understood the Minister to say in his reply that no such meeting had taken place. Will he be good enough to repeat his reply, please?
The Response from Industry Foundation are a private organisatio isation and I have no responsibility for their functions. Meetings of the type referred to by the Deputy have not taken place.
The Minister of State has just told me that the Minister met the foundation.
From time to time the Minister has had informal discussions with members of the foundation.
When did the last of these informal discussions take place?
I have not that information.
It is very unlikely that civil servants have changed so much in compiling briefs since I was Minister to the extent that they did not put down the dates of the meetings and the names of those involved. Is the Minister aware that his senior Minister and the Minister for Energy said when this body were set up that the future of the foundation and the potential for job creation were enormous? They were delighted to see the involvement of private industry in aiding the Government in this way. Will the Minister of State tell the House how many jobs the foundation created in 1980 and how many they propose to create in 1981?
In January 1980 the foundation published their first annual report. It stated that the foundation had confined their activities to small industries, firms employing less than 30 people. The report stated that assistance, financial and otherwise, had been provided to 82 small companies. The 1980 report is not yet available. The foundation sought assistance of £600,000 from the Tripartite Committee to support 20 industrial projects.
Was not one of the undertakings given by this organisation that they would provide their own finance? Why did they go to the Tripartite Committee?
That is what they have been doing. They provided help for 82 small companies and the report is available.
There appears to be some confusion here. Did the Minister say they sought funds for that support?
I said that from 1978 to December 1979 they sought support for 82 small companies.
Did they give any money themselves? The Minister said they helped the 82 firms and then he said they sought support for 82 firms.
They provided support for 82 small companies. In 1980 they sought assistance for 20 industrial projects and that application was refused.
We cannot have a debate on this matter. Question No. 6.
Will the Minister say when the 1980 report will be published?
I have not that information.
Will the Minister please answer Question No. 6? We cannot have a debate on this question.
On a point of order, as a matter of parliamentary procedure will the Minister accept that if this matter had not been pursued under cross-examination the House could have been misled by reference to the fact that there were no meetings between the Minister and this organisation ——
I said there were informal discussions.
Under cross-examination it emerged that there were informal discussions. Will the Minister accept that this kind of answer is not acceptable to the House?
Will the Minister please answer the next question?