asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the actions, specifically, he intends to take, or has taken, to redress the very serious unemployment problems in Dublin city centre; and his views on whether the problem in this area is of emergency proportions.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin City Centre Unemployment.
17.
(Limerick East): The Industrial Development Authority is aware of the level of unemployment in Dublin's inner city and has implemented a number of initiatives in recent years to alleviate this problem.
Since 1979, the IDA has developed enterprise centres in Pearse Street and East Wall Road. In addition, small industry units have been provided in the Liberties, Prussia Street and Gardiner Street. Indeed, the East Wall Road centre and the units in Gardiner Street have just become available during 1986. There are almost 1,000 people employed in these units and, as they become fully utilised, it is expected that this will increase to almost 2,500 people. These initiatives represent an investment of almost £20 million.
Since January 1983 the inner city, for a period of five years, has been a designated area where projects can qualify for special incentives from the IDA. This enables the Authority to provide grant assistance up to a level of 60 per cent for suitable manufacturing or internationally trading service industries.
In conjunction with the other job-creating State agencies and local community-based groups, the IDA is endeavouring to ensure that all these initiatives and subsequent projects will recruit the maximum number of inner city residents.
In addition the IDA has also devoted considerable resources to its Dublin small industries team who have an ambitious target of creating 260 projects in Dublin during 1986.
Would the Minister be good enough to say whether he is satisfied with the progress to date in the achievement of the targets set out by him, by the IDA and by the Government in the context of this black spot? Has he any further proposals for somehow gaining priority for this area to deal with an emergency in the city centre in terms of total lack of employment at present? The problem is not so much one of facilities as other issues and other questions.
(Limerick East): I am satisfied with the progress made by the initiatives taken by the IDA to date but I would be happier if the employment in the 1,000 jobs that I have talked about here, and the 2,500 projected, involved more residents in the inner city area. Quite frequently, although the projects are within the inner city area, people in employment come in from outside.
Has the Minister any suggestions as to how there might be some degree of discrimination in favour of the local people? He points out, quite rightly, that they find themselves having the worst of worlds, that is, having the facilities next door to them and not getting access to them. Has he any suggestions to deal with that social problem?
(Limerick East): It is not possible to discriminate positively in favour of people in an area when it comes to private enterprise employing people, but I suggest the answer to the problem is along the lines of improving the skills of the residents of the inner city area and working through the agencies such as AnCO to do so.
Now we come to questions nominated for priority.
(Limerick East): I would call this being saved by the bell.