Vol. 544 No. 3
130 Mr. Crawford asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the funding available under the operational programme within the productive sector under the national development plan to boost the textile industry; and the success of the programme to date. [28618/01]
Support in the Productive Sector Operational Programme 2000-2006 is provided under a number of priorities which include research, technological development and innovation, RTDI, industry – indigenous and foreign direct investment – and marketing. Under these priorities there are a number of measures which are available to manufacturing companies including the textile industry and internationally traded services. Although there are no specific measures in the productive sector operational programme for the textile sector it is, nevertheless, open to companies in that sector to avail of the support measures under the programme. These support measures are available through the agencies of my Department, i.e., Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development.
The industry programme will provide over the period of the programme 953 million for measures to assist the indigenous industry. Research and development is also a key strategy of the programme where 2 billion will be provided. Also under the marketing programme 177 million will be provided and will focus on increasing the level of exports in the indigenous sector, with an emphasis on SMEs and market diversification, assisting the marketing functions of firms disadvantaged by their peripheral location and assisting sectors that have yet to fully embrace marketing.
