I move:
That Dáil Éireann deplores the Government's continued failure to provide adequate funds towards the implementation of the Cork Harbour Development Plan.
In moving this motion, which is also in the names of Deputies Brosnan, Cronin, Gene Fitzgerald, French, Healy, Jack Lynch and Meaney, I am glad to be addressing my remarks to a fellow Cork Deputy, the Minister for Transport and Power. I hope he will accept my contribution to this debate as constructive and will appreciate my anxiety regarding the whole development of the Cork Harbour area.
In view of the present appalling condition of our economy it is of vital importance that the Government would invest money where the greatest potential for employment arises. Therefore, if the Government are serious about devising a policy to create employment, the Cork Harbour area must be a top priority. Cork Harbour must be considered as a regional development area where the greatest potential now exists, especially with the advent of gas and oil. The Government are gambling that all our economic ills will be remedied in this region, but to date they have not provided the necessary finance for its development.
The Cork Harbour Commissioners, together with the Cork County Council, the Cork Corporation, the Cork Chamber of Commerce and many other interested bodies are convinced that the harbour's greatest potential lies in its particular ability to attract major capital, kernel-type industries and, in doing so, stimulating the economy and providing a high level of new job opportunities, and I am sure the Minister will agree with me that this is essential now in view of rising unemployment. It would also create job opportunities for university and technological college graduates from the whole region of south Munster.
The basis of the plan is to improve the industrial infrastructure, thus making Cork Harbour more attractive for port-related industries such as petroleum refining, petro-chemicals, steel, primary metal production, and a wide range of organic and other chemical plants, for instance, shipbuilding, fertilisers, car reassembly and so on. There is tremendous competition among all European countries in attracting port-related industry, and if Ireland is to be successful it is essential to provide the basic infrastructure in advance of this demand. I do not have to inform the Minister that port-related industries are the fastest growing industrial sectors in the world. Surely then it should be the concern of the Government to attract those industries. There is little point in Irish Ministers going around the world trying to attract industries which are port-related unless we ourselves provide the facilities for them.
The credibility of the Cork Harbour area as a location suitable for heavy industry is now beginning to suffer because of the long delays in giving sanction to the plan and now I think, the refusal to sanction it. There have been so many promises from the Government that the plan would be sanctioned that foreign industrialists will now become sceptical that deep water facilities will ever be provided in Cork Harbour. We are seeing evidence of this at present in Cork. The Government therefore should be seen to be committed to the provision of these facilities rather than be waiting for industries to come to the harbour area. Cork Harbour has the largest single concentration of heavy industry in the State. It has a distinctive geographical location, as it adjoins the main bulk commodity lines into Europe. It has always been said that Cork Harbour is the gateway to Europe. It has the advantage of being a natural deep water harbour together with all the necessary services which Cork can offer.
Cork Harbour, through its industries and associate services, gives direct employment to over 7,000 people. I have no doubt that the Minister is also aware that if the harbour plan is not put in motion now, there is the risk that this employment will be placed in jeopardy. In my contribution to the budget debate I said that Cork Harbour was dying because we were restricted to vessels of about 12,000 tons and could not accept vessels of over 15,000 tons, while the more ambitious shipping companies of the world have bulk carriers of up to 150,000 tons.
The port is at a very critical stage in its development now. Unless immediate comprehensive dredging is carried out in Cork Harbour to accommodate the larger bulk carriers, the loss to the harbour will be gigantic. The Minister is one of the Deputies representing Cork in this House. He must be aware of the mounting unemployment in Cork city and county at the moment. He knows, too, that in the initial stages of this development at least 200 men will be employed, with a very definite assurance of much more employment for our people as time progresses. It is estimated—and I do not think we are exaggerating—that this development will create something in the region of 20,000 new jobs by 1990, and this is the kind of development the Government must be looking at. The Taoiseach has already mentioned the fact that we shall have to plan ahead to ensure full employment.
There is a considerable public investment running into millions of pounds, notably the acquisition of 600 acres of land at Ringaskiddy, and a commitment by Cork County Council with the Cork Corporation for two major water supply schemes to service the area. This kind of development demands water and sewerage for housing, factories and other community needs of the area. Delay in implementing the marine works means that the investment in land and the water supply is lying fallow and is the cause of further delay, due to inability to attract the type of industry most suitable to the area. These industries will be lost to the country if this plan is not proceeded with or if we cannot get a commitment from the Government now.
The policy of only providing facilities if a major multi-national decides to come is ludicrous. This had been mentioned on a number of occasions when deputations were received by the Minister. Industrialists will only come when all necessary facilities are available. These are proper business tactics and demands. It is important that we be in a position to dictate our terms to the multi-nationals, rather than vice versa. A Government spokesman admitted on many occasions that now is the time to mobilise all our resources and prepare for new industries in order to anticipate improving economic conditions in European markets over the next few years. The Taoiseach and the Minister said this also.
The plan having been endorsed and the strategy accepted, the money involved is modest in relation to the overall investment it will attract. It will have the advantage that once provided, the investments will be immediately recoverable. This is true. There is a need at this stage for the Government to invest and look back on the era of the late Seán Lemass, the leader of a Government which was always prepared to invest to bring about more employment for the Irish people.
This is the kind of initiative people expect from the Government. It is frightening to look at the country at the moment and see thousands of men lining up at the labour exchanges and costing the State millions of pounds. Here is Cork Harbour, an area ready and prepared to bring about this kind of incentive by providing the necessary employment and restoring confidence in our people. This is the logic of the Cork Harbour Regional Development Plan. We have spelled this out often to the Minister and his officials. I must question the sincerity of the Government in making such statements and not implementing them.
The Cork Harbour Regional Development Plan—I emphasise the word "regional"—will be of benefit to all port users and to the community as a whole. Importers and exporters will benefit from reduced transport costs, which are so essential, and which will result from the proposed new modern facilities. The ability to receive deep vessels will open up many new trade opportunities. For EEC countries, Japan and other distant markets, the proposed development will make the harbour an extremely attractive location for port industries and will reduce development costs. It will permit a greater number of industries to be established and will give a greater return on both public and private investment. This will result in greatly increased employment opportunities.
Over the past few years we have had spectacular developments of our mineral, off-shore oil and gas resources. The proposed development of Cork Harbour is very much related to providing the ideal base for the processing of our mineral and off-shore resources. This applies also to agriculture. A very large proportion of foodstuffs and agricultural produce are processed through the port. The economies in transport costs can be achieved by using large ships to assist the agricultural community. It would take me some time to mention the number of industrial commodities and so forth that could move through our port.
The increased industrial development in the harbour area will be of particular benefit to the national and regional economies. The plan will preserve the amenities of the harbour by concentrating development and will also facilitate monetary control and treatment of pollution.
The Minister's amendment to the motion is somewhat confusing. He notes a sum of £500,000 towards the cost of certain harbour development work included in the Cork Harbour Development Plan. We are talking here about a minor development of the overall plan. We are also informed in the Minister's amendment that this amount of money is the largest sum provided for any harbour authority in any one year. He must take into account the inflationary impact at present on this money. The motion ends by requesting the Government in due course to consider what further funds may be provided for the Cork Harbour Development Plan. I am sure the Minister will explain this more fully to me in his reply because here the Government are appealing to themselves and I find the whole point confusing.
People are talking about devising a policy of development while in Cork we have an area with all the potential necessary for this kind of development. It would be worth reading into the record some comments of a delegation to the EEC and the European Investment Bank on 11th and 12th March this year. The delegation consists of Mr. Peard, chairman, Cork Harbour Commissioners, Mr. A.J. Thornton, president, Cork Chamber of Commerce, Mr. L.A. French, general manager, Mr. F.A. Cunnane, finance controller, and Mr. J.B. O'Sullivan, planning and development manager, Cork Harbour Commissioners. At a meeting yesterday they submitted their comments to us. For the record I shall read the document they presented. I quote:
1. EEC officials discussed in a general manner the Regional Development Fund which presently covered the years 1975, 1976 and 1977. Ireland's allocation for those years had already been decided on and all grants were paid directly to the Irish Government.