Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Feb 1999

Vol. 500 No. 7

Written Answers. - State Aid.

Charles Flanagan

Question:

113 Mr. Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the State grants and assistance, whether by means of the IDA or otherwise, and the loans, if any, at preferential interest rates granted by ICC bank or other State backed institutions to a company or companies in which a person (details supplied) was at any time a director; the amount and dates in each case; and if, in the case of loans, the amounts were ever redeemed. [4878/99]

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

The Butlers Engineering Group, Portarlington, County Laois, of which the person in question was a director availed of cover under the State export credit insurance scheme. Such cover was provided by ICI, acting as agents of the Minister. I understand that the only significant case involved a contract in Oman, for which cover was provided in 1984. This gave rise to claim, in respect of which an amount of £0.558 million was paid to the company in 1994.

Loans granted by ICC are not a matter for my Department. However, in so far as State agencies under my aegis are concerned, I am informed by Enterprise Ireland that the following financial assistance was provided to the Butlers Engineering Group:

Type of FinancialAssistance	Date of Approval	Payments
		£
Preference Shares	March, 1994	250,000
Capital Grant	May, 1990	2,500,000
Preference Shares	May, 1990	800,000
Capital Grant	December, 1982	171,250
Training Grant	March, 1976	67,839
Capital Grant	July, 1975	103,013
Training Grant	July, 1975	71,437
Capital Grant	March, 1972	47,190
Capital Grant	January, 1969	55,140
Total		4,065,869