Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 May 1998

Vol. 491 No. 3

Written Answers. - Enterprise Project Group.

Gerry Reynolds

Question:

94 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the members of the recently established enterprise project group; the terms of reference; and when the group will report to the Government on its findings. [12048/98]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Miss Harney)

In the wake of the closure of Ballinamore Textiles Ltd. which exacerbated the unemployment situation in County Leitrim, I asked the Leitrim County Manager to convene a special enterprise project group to address the employment needs of the county. The members of the group are as follows:

Chairman: Mr. Paddy Fahey, Leitrim County Manager

Mr. Joe McHugh, IDA

Mr. Seamus Bree, Forbairt

Mr. Michael Tully, FÁS

Mr. J.J. Shortt, Chairman, Leitrim, County Council

Mr. Brendan McGinty, IBEC

Mr. Bernard McGaughan, ISME

Mr. Oliver Haslette, Businessman

Ms Irene Donegan, SIPTU

Mr. Des MacConville, Institute of Technology Sligo

Mr. Frank Maxwell, President, Ballinamore Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Joe Dolan, Businessman

Ms Dorothy Clarke, Chief Executive Leitrim, County Enterprise Board

Ms Statia Carr, NT

The group will concentrate on the following issues:

assessment of the skills of the labour force in County Leitrim; provision of training and retraining opportunities of the labour force; marketing of County Leitrim for direct foreign investment; encouraging indigenous business opportunities in the county; highlighting the availability of the industrial development sites throughout County Leitrim; providing encouragement to those who wish to pursue entrepreneurial ventures in their own right; maximising the potential to the county of the urban renewal scheme and the new pilot rural renewal scheme and assessing the local infrastructural needs and liaising with the relevant State authorities.

No time limit has been placed on the work of the group, which is expected to prepare its own programme of work and to establish the timescale in which it can expect to make progress.