asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of the large number of closures of firms and redundancies of workers in Limerick over the past year; the steps the Government are taking to deal with the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Limerick Industrial Employment.
12.
I am aware of the industrial employment situation in Limerick.
I have been informed by the Shannon Free Airport Development Co. Ltd. that 11 projects approved this year for various parts of the city and county have between them an employment potential for about 520 people. A further new project under negotiation at present has a potential for 283 jobs. The company have also informed me that in 1976 it is expected that 1,300 additional jobs will arise in the city and county as a result of new projects approved and of expansion of employment in existing firms.
Is the Minister aware that in Limerick city alone in the past year or 15 months six major firms either have closed or have drastically reduced their labour force? Is he aware that the loss of jobs in Limerick in that period has been about 2,000 and that even if all the jobs the Minister has mentioned were to be available they would not cover the number of people who have lost employment in the last 18 months? In these circumstances would the Minister not consider designating Limerick city in particular as a special area under the Industrial Development Acts, in the same way as was done for other areas where severe unemployment was caused by the closure of firms?
If the Deputy does a tot on the figures I have given he will see the total number I have indicated is slightly more than the number of jobs lost in the last 18 months according to his figures. That is not to say I am not aware of the specific difficulties that Limerick has had because of a number of important closures. With regard to designation, I have not the power to designate major new areas without agreement. This is extremely unlikely to be forthcoming because that would involve a basic alteration of our industrial incentive package and this we are not in a position to do.
The agreement of whom?
The agreement of the Commission. We are under continuous scrutiny about the level of our industrial incentive throughout the nation.
Is the Minister aware that Shannon Airport, which is beside Limerick, has traditionally had certain advantages in this respect and that Limerick is now far more seriously affected than Shannon although Shannon lost a lot of jobs in the last year or two also?
I am so aware but areas that have been designated can continue. It is the designation of new areas that presents me with a difficulty.
Was Ballingarry not designated within the last two years?
It was not. It was before my time in office and before our accession into the Community.
What are the 1,300 the Minister mentioned? Are they projected jobs?
Yes. I have a list of projects, on which detailed work has been done, with figures of projected new employment either by expansion or by new projects. It comprises those two categories.
The Minister will recall, when we were discussing the IDA Bill, it was pointed out that projected jobs and realised jobs are not the same thing. What percentage of projected jobs generally ends up as realised jobs?
I will try to find that out for the Deputy but it is not in my brief and I would not like to give it across the House.