asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has any proposals to create industrial zones in the Border region.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Border Region Industrial Zones.
7.
The Deputy will be aware that the Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities recently recommended that a cross-Border industrial development zone based on the Letterkenny-Derry-Strabane triangle should be established. The report of the Economic and Social Committee is at present being examined by the Departments concerned.
A proposal for an integrated operations feasibility study of the Donegal-Foyle-Strabane area has been made to the Irish and British Governments as well as to the Commission of the European Communities. This proposal, which has many important aspects, is being studied by a number of Government Departments. This proposed study, if proceeded with, would probably include an examination of the usefulness and practicality of an industrial zone.
Would the Minister not consider that, as the report has mentioned, there is agreement on the setting up of zones not alone in a particular area but in general along the Border region and the benefits which would accrue and activity which could be generated as far as employment is concerned? Could an examination not be made of the progress by SFADCo in the Limerick and Shannon area, or some such development, from the industrial viewpoint?
An examination of the benefits gained because of SFADCo is one possibility. However, what is involved here is an industrial zone in the Donegal-Foyle-Strabane area and that is being examined at the moment. The Department of Communications would have a peripheral concern there, but the Department of Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism and the Department of the Environment would be the major Departments involved. What decisions or conclusions they have arrived at, I do not yet know.
Is the Minister aware that agricultural employment in Donegal over the past five years has fallen by 11,000? Has he any plans or have any approaches been made to develop the recommendations contained in the report regarding agriculture in order to create employment?
We have moved away from the report, Deputy, and are dealing with industrial zones.
That supplementary would have related to the last question rather than this.