Vol. 459 No. 3
166 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if established recycling industries such as Secure Shred Limited, Dundalk, County Louth, can avail of any Forbairt support in such areas as information, research or mentoring fields; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18153/95]
Forbairt provides financial assistance to developments which are based on the use of suitable waste as a raw material, and used to produce products in a traded sector. Projects which must satisfy normal commercial criteria are considered on their merit on a case by case basis.
Forbairt also provides assistance under the feasibility study grants programme to assist companies to investigate market opportunities for recycled products. Recycling enterprises may also be eligible for assistance from the county enterprise boards.
167 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he intends to extend the remit of Forbairt to include companies in the recycling sector in view of the development of this sector consequent on the passing of the Waste Bill, 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18154/95]
Financial assistance to support waste recycling or provision of waste infrastructure will be available under the waste management Sub-Programme of the Operational Programme for Environmental Services 1994-1999. I understand that my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, will shortly be in a position to invite applications for these grants. In these circumstances, I do not propose to extend the remit of Forbairt to cover recycling activities which do not include a manufacturing element.
Under the Industrial Development Act, 1986, Forbairt assistance is restricted to manufacturing projects and to a list of service activities designated under section 21, which to date have been confined to certain internationally traded activities — e.g. software development, data processing, technical and consulting services, commercial laboratory services, administrative headquarter services, research and development services, media recording services, training services, publishing services, international financial services, healthcare services. Therefore, Forbairt assistance is not available to developments based on collection, sorting, shredding and baling or incineration of waste materials.
