asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the extent to which efforts at import substitution were successful from 1987 to date in (a) the Middle East, (b) Central and Eastern Europe, (c) the United States, (d) Latin America and (e) Africa; if he will outline his plans for further development in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Import Substitution.
121.
I assume the Deputy is referring to the degree of import substitution achieved in respect of goods previously sourced from the areas in question.
Details relating to import substitution are not compiled by reference to geographical areas of the kind listed by the Deputy and to undertake to do so, for the purposes of the question, would not be justified in view of the time and cost involved.
The Irish Goods Council, however, which has a primary role in the import substitution area, has identified new business secured by Irish firms, in the way of import substitution generally, amounting to £130 million over the period 1987-88. The council expects further new sales of £81 million to be secured in 1989 and has targeted further sales of £250 million over the next three years. The bulk of this business would previously have been serviced from abroad and as such it represents a significant gain by Irish firms.
In 1989 additional resources were provided to the Irish Goods Council to enable it to further intensify its efforts in this area. Under the council's new marketing development programme Irish firms will be assisted to develop a new level of competence and professionalism in the marketing area. This will equip our native firms to take on and displace the foreign competition in the domestic market on an intensified basis in the coming years.