asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if firms are availing themselves of the services of the EEC Business Co-Operation Centre; and, if so, the number of mergers that have resulted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Business Co-Ordination Centre.
31.
I understand that since its establishment in May, 1973, 450 firms from the member states have contacted the EEC Business Co-Ordination Centre with a view to forming links with other firms in the Community. I am not aware of any mergers or partnerships formed as a result of the operations of the centre. The negotiations would take place directly between the firms concerned.
It is, in any event, probably too soon after the start of the centre to expect definite joint arrangements to have materialised.
May I ask the Minister the extent to which the function of this co-ordination centre has been publicised, the extent to which it has been brought to the attention of Irish businesses? What efforts have been made in this respect?
When the Deputy says publicised, there was of course extensive publicity in the newspapers. Secondly, I believe that the newsletter of the Confederation of Irish Industries carried a section on it and some of the other periodicals that are concerned with business and business pages of newspapers. Of course, the information is available if people contact the Department and wish to use this European level marriage bureau for business enterprises. It is arguable that expenditure of public money on the taking of space in newspapers to publicise something like this, which had got a fair amount of coverage through the media anyway, would not be a useful expenditure of that money.
Of the 450 inquiries how many were from Irish companies?
I understand that 19 of them were from Irish companies.