asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the present position regarding the statement made by An Taoiseach in February 1988 that the IDA were negotiating with a further ten significant overseas investors in projects with a job potential of 1,200 in the Cork area, of which two of the largest were expected to be completed in the following two months.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - IDA Negotiations with Overseas Investors.
29.
Since the announcement referred to, arrangements for 12 medium-large overseas industrial projects in Cork have been finalised with a combined job potential of almost 1,500.
Does this include the industrial expansion announced in Cork last November by the Minister's predecessor? When somebody saw this announcement in the paper they went down to look for one of these new jobs, they were told that not alone were the company not expanding but that they had laid off people the previous Friday. Is the Minister aware that these kinds of jobs are known in Cork as "Albert Reynolds jobs", here today and gone yesterday?
The Deputy, will I am sure be delighted, as a Cork man who has tried, though unsuccessfully, to bring jobs to Cork during his time as a Minister in Government, with the success this Government are having in the Cork region. He will be delighted with the success in attracting substantial projects to the region. I recently had the pleasure of being present when it was announced that SCI Systems would locate in Fermoy.
We recognise the spoof. Do those projects include the factory announced by the Taoiseach on that same night when he said there would be 1,000 jobs in a Taiwanese clothing factory, 50 of which would be created before the end of December 1988? Were those 50 jobs created?
As I have said, the arrangements are finalised for 12 medium to large size overseas industrial projects creating 1,500 jobs since the Taoiseach was there. The Taiwanese project is still being followed up but there was a downturn in the international demand for their particular product. That downturn was not evident when they indicated they were coming to Ireland. Negotiations are proceeding with the IDA and that company and these are at an advanced stage.
Were the 50 jobs created?
The situation is as I have outlined it to the Deputy. The Deputy will be delighted that 1,500 jobs have been created in the Cork area. A particular concern with projects in the Cork area seems to be the problem of third party objections. Of course, it is quite legitimate within a democracy to object to projects, but this seems to be a problem in the Cork region more so than in any other region where industrial projects are announced.
A final question, Deputy Barry. The time is exhausted for questions for today.
Does the Minister agree with the statement by the Chairman of the IDA last July that in future neither the Government nor the IDA would talk about proposed new jobs, but that they would talk about jobs that had actually been created?
I can assure the Deputy that as long as I am in the Department of Industry and Commerce, any announcement made will be on projects that are signed, sealed and delivered.
Would the Minister tell the Taoiseach that?
That disposes of Questions for today.