asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of factory closures since the year 1979 which have been associated with or immediately consequent upon industrial disputes; and if so, his estimation of the number of jobs directly or indirectly lost through these closures.
Written Answers. - Factory Closures.
20.
My Department has no responsibility for the collation of official statistics on factory closures nor does the Central Statistics Office provide such figures. Manufacturing concerns are under no obligation to notify my Department when they cease production.
Furthermore, from such information as is available from the Industrial Development Authority's records it would not be possible to identify those factories which closed as a result of industrial disputes.
I am not, therefore, in a position to answer the specific question put by the Deputy.