asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he will consider declaring Tralee and north Kerry a priority area for the establishment of new industry, as many of its workforce are now unemployed for almost three years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industry Priority Area.
10.
I am aware of the unemployment problem in the north Kerry area.
County Kerry is already designated for the higher level of industrial grants and Tralee is already being promoted by the IDA on a priority basis for industrial development. In addition, the IDA have established an office in Tralee to more effectively promote Tralee, and County Kerry in general, as a location for new industrial projects.
The IDA have a 28,000 sq. ft. advance factory, a 3,000 sq. ft. small industry unit and a 37 acre site available for industrial development in Tralee, in addition to a 20,000 sq. ft. advance factory and 17 acres of land in Listowel. IDA also have a 600 acre strategic site for heavy industry on the Shannon Estuary at Ballylongford.
These facilities are being actively promoted for suitable industrial projects.
Is the Minister aware that unemployment figures in the Kerry area have doubled in the last three months? Will he consider setting up a task force to deal with this matter such as that which was set up in Cork?
I am not sure if the figures quoted by the Deputy are accurate.
That is not the nub of the question.
Clearly the Tánaiste carries no clout.
In the five years up to January 1984 the rate of increase in unemployment in Tralee was 84 per cent as against the national average of 135 per cent. In Listowel it was 130 per cent as against the national average of 135 per cent.
Increased unemployment.
I am taking the figures from January 1983 up to the present day. Kingdom Tubes had a job loss of 300, and 780 jobs have been lost in Tralee since January 1983.
Kerry is already designated for the higher rate of grant. Tralee is being promoted by the IDA for industrial development on a priority basis. That is a major recognition of the problems that exist. There are unemployment problems all over the country at present and the IDA's resources are necessarily limited in regard to what they can do for any one part of the country against another.
I accept the Minister's reply. An industrial survey carried out in the Tralee area, updated to June 1984, shows that we have an unemployment rate of 23 per cent.
In relation to the Minister's reply where he stated that the area under discussion qualified for a high rate of grant, can he say when the area qualified for that and how long it takes to process it?
This area has qualified for it for years.
How long does it take to process it?
It had been designated for the high rate of grant long before we entered the EC.
How long does it take to process?
The question does not arise.
It does.
That matter was settled during the accession negotiations. It has qualified for 30 years.
Did the Minister say that the rate of increase in unemployment nationally was an average of 135 per cent?
Over five years, yes.
Does the Minister not recognise that this is a total indictment——
Over five years, in much of which time the Deputy opposite and his colleagues were in power. No party can pretend that they have a magic solution to deal with unemployment.
What about the plan? Is it a failure?
Nobody will be taken in by the facile inferences the Deputy is making.