asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he will reconsider his decision and make available the full text of the recent task force report on employment to: (1) Cork city Deputies, (2) the business community in Cork and (3) Cork Council of Trade Unions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Task Force Report on Employment.
17.
The High Level Expert Working Group on Employment in Cork was set up to report to the Government, who, having considered the report submitted, decided on a comprehensive action programme, details of which were announced by me in Cork on 11 May 1984. It was never intended that the report should be published. I consider that the release of the report in the manner requested by the Deputy would be tantamount to publication. Accordingly, I am unable to accede to the request.
Would the Minister agree that the task force report was prepared specifically to benefit the Cork area? Does he not realise that groupings such as the business community, the trade unions and public representatives are interested in having copies of the full report so that they may discuss it? What is so secretive about it?
As I said at the outset, the report was not prepared with publication in mind. I have been forthcoming in answering questions from the press in Cork and also at the meeting I had with the Lord Mayor and with others. I indicated those aspects of the report that were not implemented by the Government. Essentially, the report comprised a list of recommendations as to action. It did not consist of a lot of analyses. When one knows what has been done and what has not been done there is not a lot more to talk about. The vast majority of the recommendations were accepted by the Government and implemented.
Is the Minister aware that there was mention of tourism in the report and also that the building construction industry designated certain areas of employment? Despite this, the report has not been released publicly by the Government.
I have indicated that I referred in Cork to those recommendations that were not accepted. Broadly speaking, these fell into two categories. One was that rather than designate the entire greater Cork area for lower level of grant we decided to designate for a higher level of grant a number of specified industrial estates. We thought that a better way of approaching the problem. There were recommendations in regard to tourism but it was the considered opinion of Bord Fáilte that these should not be accepted because they would involve breaking up Bord Fáilte and promoting individual parts of the country rather than promoting Ireland as a whole package. Therefore, on policy grounds, we decided not to accept those recommendations.
While agreeing that some of the recommendations in the report were accepted and that others were not for obvious reasons, would the Minister agree that his response to the situation in Cork is totally inadequate?
I would not so agree. I made it clear in Cork that the Government had created an environment there in which there can be a restoration of confidence in the city. That is very important. We have also provided the people there with the tools necessary to enable them to provide jobs. But much of the success of all this depends on the response of people in Cork to the small industries ideas and to other developments recommended in the report. The problems of Cork or of anywhere else will not be solved by Government action alone.
The Minister knows that the investment climate is wrong.
It is improving.
There is a long way to go.
The remaining questions will appear on the Order Paper for the next sitting day on which questions are taken.