asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will designate County Louth as a maximum grant area for industrial development purposes in the near future.
13.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - County Louth Industrial Development.
10.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the reason County Louth is the only Border county not a designated area.
40.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will designate County Louth as a maximum grant area.
(Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 13 and written Question No. 40 together.
The question of designation generally was the subject of a National Economic and Social Council study which was initiated by my predecessor. The study was concerned with a review of the criteria for designation.
Subsequently the Economic and Social Research Institute were asked to produce a detailed review of the implications of the recommendations of the NESC report on designation. This ESRI report has been completed and is currently being examined in my Department. Until this examination is completed it would be inappropriate for me to designate any further areas in the country.
Meanwhile County Louth will continue to be treated as a priority area by the IDA for industrial development purposes. As an instance of the results being achieved, Ecco Ltd. of Dundalk announced a £17.0 million investment this year which is expected to involve the creation of 280 additional jobs over the next four years. Accuray Ireland Ltd. of Dundalk, established in 1981 to manufacture a range of computer based process automation systems, doubled its manufacturing space in September 1986. This expansion is expected to provide 40 extra jobs over the next two years. Tatung of Taiwan recently announced the establishment of a £10 million consumer electronics manufacturing factory in Drogheda with production due to commence in the middle of next year. Within two years 200 jobs are expected to be created by the company with a further two stages creating 200 additional jobs, subject of course to market conditions.
Small industry also has an important role to play in the county and as has already been announced, in the period January to August 1986, 14 projects were approved with a total employment potential of 69. In addition to the foregoing developments the IDA are promoting 50,000 sq. ft. of advance factory space and 130 acres of land for industrial development in the county.
I think it is clear from the foregoing that every effort is being made by the IDA to address the county's undoubtedly serious unemployment problem.
Will the Minister agree that there are up to 8,000 unemployed in the county and that the manufacturing job base there has been so severely eroded in the last four years that there is a need for urgent action to tackle the problem?
(Limerick East): The urgent action is being taken on the basis of my reply and with much success. I am confident that over the next couple of months further announcements relative to manufacturing industry in County Louth will be made and will be welcomed by everybody.
Will the Minister agree that as Louth is the only Border county not designated for industrial development purposes it is at a severe disadvantage given that it is virtually surrounded by counties that are designated for industrial development purposes?
(Limerick East): I do not. I do not propose to designate any further areas in the country until the examination by the ESRI of the NESC report has been completed. Quite frequently location is a stronger factor than incentives.
Is the Minister in a position to tell us when we can expect decisions arising out of the ESRI report?
(Limerick East): No, I will not tie myself to a time scale.