Before I reported progress last night I had dealt at length with certain provisions of this Bill. However, as a Deputy representing a constituency that has fared badly in the matter of industrial development and whose constituents will be expecting great things from this Bill, I consider it right and proper that I should examine the Bill in a detailed way.
The extension of the responsibilities of the Shannon Free Airport Development Company to embrace the mid-western region, comprising County Clare, Limerick city and county, and North Tipperary, is a logical development and one I have continually advocated in the past ten years both in the Dáil and elsewhere. This policy has also been advocated by many people in Limerick who are concerned about the lack of industrial development. I am hopeful that the fact that people in Limerick can now avail of the expertise and experience of officials at the Shannon Free Airport Development Company would help to attract much needed industry to Limerick city and the surrounding areas. Taking into account the natural advantages of Limerick city in the matter of industrial development, there is no doubt that given the proper incentives and assistance major industry could be attracted to this area.
Many people have commented on the fact that in the past decade there has not been any major industrial development in Limerick city. This is not for want of effort at local level; all public representatives and local organisations have been doing their best in recent years to attract new industry to our city. Unfortunately, success has not come our way and a certain amount of responsibility for this lack of industrial development must be placed on the Government. The incentives available to industrialists proposing to establish industries in Limerick city and the facilities available there could not compete with those available at the Shannon industrial estate.
I have on many occasions tabled questions to the Minister for Industry and Commerce regarding the lack of industrial development in Limerick and the Minister's predecessor, Deputy Colley, expressed the view that many people would regard Limerick city as being in an extremely fortunate situation by reason of its proximity to the Shannon industrial estate. I accept the fact that the existence of the Shannon industrial estate within 14 miles of Limerick city has been advantageous from the point of view of providing employment for people in Limerick city and county, County Clare and County Tipperary. However, I have always held the view that if an industrialist wishes to establish a plant in Limerick city the same incentives should be available there as are available in the Shannon industrial estate.
The only criticism I have of this Bill is the fact that provision does not seem to be made for a standard scale of grants throughout the entire region. Up to now the grants available for new industries in the industrial estate at Shannon were very much greater than those which applied in Limerick city. This put us at a considerable disadvantage when we were competing for new industries. It has been represented very strongly to me by people in a voluntary, and even in a professional way, engaged in the promotion of industries in the mid-western region that if this concept of regionalisation or industrial development is to work out properly a common scale of grants should operate right through the region. This would mean that an industrialist examining the possibilities of setting up a factory anywhere in the mid-western region who selected Limerick city, Nenagh, Ennis or Shannon Airport as suiting him best would get the same rate of grant and the same facilities as he would get in the Shannon industrial estate.
This extension of the functions of the Shannon Development Company to embrace the mid-western region has in fact been operating for some time past. I am aware of the exploratory work which has been done and I am also aware of the assistance which the Shannon Free Airport Development Company have given in the establishment of industries in Newcastlewest and Limerick city. There is no doubt that nowadays the building of advance factories is an absolute prerequisite for industrial development. These advance factories make it very easy for an industrialist to get into production in the shortest possible time. They also have the advantage that the industrialist will have the choice either of purchasing the factory or leasing it. Therefore, if industrial development is to expand, not merely in the mid-western region but in other regions, the building of advance factories for sale or for lease to potential industrialists is an absolute prerequisite.
I look forward then to seeing much needed new industrial development, particularly in Limerick city. I have first hand knowledge of the tremendous work of the officials in the industrial section of the Shannon Free Airport Development Company and I have every confidence that with their assistance and provided of course that local initiative and co-operation is forthcoming, and also provided that we get a fair crack of the whip in the matter of grants and incentives, much needed new industry can be attracted to Limerick city and the surrounding area.
The Minister referred to the sections of the Bill dealing with housing. I notice that there is a new development here. The Minister said:
Sections 5, 6 and 7 are designed to make it clear, in the first place, that the conditions on which State finance has been provided for the erection and subsidisation of dwellings at the airport do not oblige the company to confine lettings to persons employed in the industrial estate and, in particular, do not imply that widows and dependants of such persons or an unemployed worker cannot continue as tenants.
Hitherto the moneys voted by the Oireachtas for housing development at Shannon Airport were to provide houses for people employed in the estate, particularly, and also at the airport. It is now intended that housing at the airport will be available for leasing to people who may not be employed on the estate. At first I could not see the reason for the change here but I take it that with the development of the town and the community facilities at the airport, and particularly in view of the objective of building up Shannon to a town of 6,000 there is a demand now from people who are not employed in the estate but who wish to live at Shannon. Perhaps the Minister might throw some further light on this.
I also want an assurance that if it is intended to lease houses to persons who are not employed in the estate this will not have the effect of depriving persons who are employed in the various factories from getting houses there. As late as a week ago two young men employed in factories in Shannon sought my views. They were both contemplating marriage and wished to get housing accommodation at Shannon. I contacted the Shannon Free Airport Development Company and I was informed that for a certain type of house there was a very long waiting list and while in the case of the cheaper type of house the waiting list was not so long there was still a waiting list. If houses at Shannon are being made available to persons other than industrial workers is this going to create problems or is it intended to accelerate the building——
