asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if, in view of the most recent and alarming unemployment figures for Waterford city, he will designate that area for special treatment when considering the siting of new industries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Waterford Employment.
5.
I am concerned at the serious employment problem in Waterford city and am assured that the Industrial Development Authority have been intensively promoting the Waterford area for new industry.
In recent years the IDA have secured a number of new overseas industries for Waterford city and have also supported the expansion of existing enterprises. Between them these projects are expected to provide between 6,000 and 7,000 new jobs at full production. Many of these jobs have yet to come on stream.
That is not the question I asked. I asked specifically if the Minister would designate Waterford city and area for special treatment in view of the enormous unemployment rate, which is far greater than the inner city area of Dublin for which the Minister is designating grants of 60 per cent instead of the normal 45 per cent. Why is Waterford not being given similar treatment or even preferential treatment in view of the enormous rate of unemployment?
As I have already said, the IDA will make every possible effort to attract more industry to Waterford city. I am concerned about the high level of unemployment there, but I would point out to the Deputy that 75 per cent of the jobs lost in the Waterford city area came from outside the manufacturing industry. When we are talking about new projects in the manufacturing industry the Deputy should realise that 75 per cent of the losses did not come in the manufacturing area. Every effort will be made for Waterford city and for the country as a whole. We are all aware of the difficult economic situation around the country in relation to employment. I assure the Deputy I will spare no effort in bringing as much investment as possible to the country.
(Waterford): Would the Minister not accept that the IDA projections for the Waterford city area are far too low? Would he not accept that, when he speaks about the efforts of the IDA to project employment not only at national level but even at regional level, there is practically nothing in the pipeline? Will the Minister specify where the 6,000 to 7,000 jobs he speaks about will come from and over what time span is he speaking? Is he speaking about five, ten or 15 years?
I am aware of the difficult employment situation in Waterford city. The projects that already exist there are expected to provide between 6,000 and 7,000 new jobs at full production. Intensive efforts are being made by the IDA in relation to Waterford city, recognising that there has been such a fall out in employment in the non-manufacturing sector. That is the particular area that the attention of the IDA has been drawn to by me. There are difficult areas around the country as well as Waterford, but every effort will be made by the IDA to attract more manufacturing industry and more service industry under the new service industries programme to try to alleviate unemployment.
As far as the people of Waterford are concerned, the Minister and the IDA are fishing those figures of 6,000 or 7,000 out of mid-air. Will the Minister give us a breakdown and tell us if those jobs have been created or are about to be created? Those figures are absolutely fictitious in our opinion.
The extraction of all the individual projects approved and the projected jobs is not available in full detail here to me. I will have it extracted and I will circulate it to both Deputies. They will then have an opportunity of coming back at a later stage in relation to this.
I fully appreciate the efforts made by the regional manager, his staff and the IDA in attracting industry to Waterford. Does the Minister intend to increase the level of grant aid to centres such as Waterford, which are suffering more than any other part of the country from a high unemployment level in view of the fact that he has increased by 15 per cent the maximum level of grant aid to firms in inner city Dublin? Would he increase the maximum level of grant aid to centres such as Waterford by a similar percentage?
I understand the feelings of the Deputies from Waterford city in relation to their city. I am having the IDA examine all the highest unemployment areas in the country so that they will get very special attention. There are areas that have suffered worse than others, I am fully conscious of that. I am having a full assesment made and we will redirect our efforts to the specific areas which have suffered most in this very deep economic recession. When that information comes to hand we will be directing our efforts at the worst hit areas in the country.
That does not satisfy me. I would like, with your permission, to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
6.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the number of new jobs created in Dungarvan and the general west Waterford area in the past five years; and the number of job losses during the same period.
I am informed by the Industrial Development Authority that in the period January 1977 to December 1981, 735 new jobs were created in manufacturing industry in the west Waterford area. During the same period 349 jobs were lost.
Those figures are fictitious. What is the source of the figures the Minister has given the House?
They are from the IDA job survey.
I suppose the IDA felt they had to give figures which would show them in a good light. Is the Minister aware that the recent census showed that there has not been any rise in population in west Waterford? In fact there has been a slight drop in the past four to five years while the unemployment figures have actually doubled during the same period. How can the Minister explain the fact that the population has not risen and unemployment has doubled while the IDA contrive to give figures to show that the jobs created have exceeded those lost by more than 400?
I have told the Deputy that the figures I have here were supplied to me from the internal planning section of the IDA but the Deputy seems to think that those figures are totally inaccurate. If he wishes to provide me with his figures, figures which he says are more acurate than the ones available to me, I shall be only too glad to take up the matter, have the situation analysed personally and in turn to pass on the results of that analysis to him.
I should be delighted if the Minister would do that because the figures are available in the Official Report as a result of a question that was tabled last week in relation to unemployment. We also have the national census as a source of information. I consider the figures that have been fed to the Minister to be totally wrong and that is why I should like him to investigate the matter further.
For the record I should like to add that apparently Deputy Deasy is disagreeing with the new jobs that have been created. The census figures will not show the jobs created so it is in that area that I would like the Deputy to pass on the information to me also.
7.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the number of new jobs created in the two factories provided by the IDA in Lismore, County Waterford.
I assume that the Deputy's question refers to two companies, which, with the assistance of the Industrial Development Authority, in recent years constructed factories in the Lismore area, one to manufacture furniture and the other to manufacture flexible hoses.
The furniture factory, which is now in production, was projected to employ 40 persons when fully operational. It has not attained its full employment target and the IDA are in close touch with the firm about their future development.
The metallic hose project was expected to employ nine persons at full production. Unfortunately, due to market conditions this project has not developed. The IDA are in touch with the promoting company about their plans for the factory.
Is the Minister aware that the nine jobs referred to are not new jobs but merely represent a transfer of employees from a factory in east Cork to a factory belonging to the same company in west Waterford?
I do not know which of the factories referred to here the Deputy has in mind.
It is Arkle.
It appears from the information available to me that the situation in relation to Arkle is not as the Deputy has outlined.
The Minister's information is incorrect.
My information on this firm is that the company reached an employment peak of 20 last year but that that has fallen to 14. It would appear that there is a difference in the two companies the Deputy has asked about.