asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism the cause of the long delay in making a grant available to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry under the IDA's small industries scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter, having regard to the viability and novelty of this project.
Written Answers. - Grant Payment.
415.
The Industrial Development Authority has informed me that it has no record of having received an application for grant assistance from the person in question. The IDA will, however, arrange for a representative to contact him and to discuss his proposals.
416.
asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he will consider the decision to refuse a grant under the Industrial Development Authority's small industries division to a firm (details supplied) in County Kerry which is also engaged in engineering works; and the reason this application was originally refused having regard to its high turnover and employment potential.
A decision on such grant applications is a matter for the Industrial Development Authority. I should point out that the firm is engaged in a sector in which there is excess production capacity; for this reason grant assistance has not been available to firms in the sector for a number of years past. If, however, the firm has identified an import substitution opportunity which would support a viable manufacturing project, the Industrial Development Authority would be prepared to consider the matter further.