Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 3

Priority Questions. - Task Forces

The following task forces, which are no longer operational, apart from the Laois task force, were established since mid-1997 to address job losses in the companies listed:

Task Force	Established	Company/Job Losses
Tullamore Inter-Agency Group	July 1997	Atlantic Mills
North Mayo Enterprise Initiative	July 1997	Asahi, Killala and Henniges Elastomers, Ballina
Tralee Inter-Agency Group	August 1997	Klopman
AWG South East Task Force (Avonmore/Waterford)	December 1997	Avonmore/Waterford Group [mainly Dungarvan plant]
Clonmel Task Force	December 1997	Seagate
Leitrim Enterprise Project Group	April 1998	Ballinamore Textiles
Donegal Employment Initiative	September 1998	Fruit of the Loom
Mullingar Inter-Agency Task Force	October 1998	Tarkett
Limerick Inter-Agency Group	November 1998	Krups
Longford Inter Agency Group	December 1998	Atlantic Mills, IEC Electronics & Barbour Threads
Ballinrobe Inter-Agency Task Force	January 1999	Betatherm Ireland Ltd & TJT Manufacturing
Laois Task Force	March 1999	Avon Arlington, Portarlington
North Tipperary Enterprise Initiative	March 1999	Offray Ribbons, Roscrea
Dunmanway Inter Agency Group	January 2000	Molnlycke
Ballinasloe Inter Agency Group	February 2000	AT Cross
Dundalk Inter Agency Group	July 2000	Dundalk Packaging (Guinness Group)
Thurles Inter Agency Task Force	May 2001	GMX
Macroom Task Force	August 2001	General Semiconductors
Drogheda Inter Agency Task Force	August 2001	Tellabs

Mr. Morgan

In whose opinion do these task forces provide effective opportunities to companies in difficulties? To whom do these task forces report? What is the rate of success in creating jobs and, indeed, in saving jobs?

The Minister of State stated that no audit has been done by the Department. Has any external independent evaluation ever been undertaken of the effectiveness of these agencies, including the 35 county enterprise boards, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development and Údarás na Gaeltachta? Would the Minister of State agree that what we have, with all of these agencies and with the plethora of these task forces, is not really a business development strategy but a business development bureaucracy? Does he agree that we need to support and reward indigenous industry when it engages in research and development strategies which will develop long-term sustainable employment and training and development, and that this approach would be much more effective in preventing the need for all of these so-called task forces in the first instance?

Mr. M. Ahern

As I said earlier, a cost-benefit evaluation of these task forces has not been undertaken by my Department, but there was a report from all the agencies such as FÁS, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, the county enterprise boards and Shannon Development. All these are involved at ground level, and have been so involved over the past number of years especially. They have been very successful in finding alternative jobs such as in the case of Drogheda and also in Dundalk, where there is a new business park, which is being set up by the Dundalk Institute of Technology and the IDA and which involves FÁS and all the local agencies. These local agencies understand the problems at local level. They have the experience and knowledge of what is available in the areas and can have a "hands on" effect. That is the way to go forward. It has proved successful in many areas throughout the country. When task forces were first set up some years ago, experts were brought in without the agencies being actively involved, but over time it has been seen that these agencies understand and know the problems in the localities and have proved very effective and successful in recent years.

Mr. Morgan

The agencies are not special task forces. When will the Minister of State be in a position to tell us the cost of these task forces? That would allow us to measure their effectiveness and to assess the number of jobs they have created or saved.

Mr. M. Ahern

I do not have detailed information about the number of jobs lost or saved countrywide. I know from experience that the task forces, which are made up of bodies such as the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, FÁS, county enterprise boards, county development boards and local authorities, have helped to secure jobs in places such as Drogheda, which is in the Deputy's constituency. In Drogheda practically all the people who were laid off found employment in a very short time. The experience has been similar in other parts of the country.

The members of the task forces are the experts in the area of employment and they are the people who should be made responsible for helping people in trouble.

Mr. Morgan

Far from finding jobs, these people have not even received their redundancy payments.

Mr. M. Ahern

The task forces have been successful. The costs are borne within the general estimates of those agencies.