asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is satisfied at the rate of adaptation in Irish industry; whether he is satisfied that the majority of concerns have co-operated fully in adaptation programmes; and whether he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Adaptation.
19.
While the pattern is somewhat uneven as between firms, I am reasonably satisfied with the general progress in adaptation in the physical sense. Up to 30th June, 1968, the firms approved for adaptation grants accounted for not less than 75 per cent of output and employment in manufacturing industry. Adaptation is, however, a continuing process and since then, under the Re-equipment Grants Scheme, over 1,000 applications have been received by the Industrial Development Authority, of which nearly 600 have, so far, been approved for grant.
The modernisation of plant and equipment and buildings is, however, only one aspect of adaptation. Other aspects include improved marketing and product policy, rationalisation of production, structural reorganisation and management training and these continue to receive attention from the agencies concerned. The Committee on Industrial Progress was established by my predecessor a year and a half ago to assess the progress made by Irish industry in its preparations for free trade, with special reference to product policy and marketing. Two reports have been published so far by the committee and others are to follow. The indications are that these will show that a good deal still requires to be done especially in areas other than physical adaptation which I have referred to earlier.