Godfrey Timmins
Ceist:16 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will outline the funds which are now being provided for the erection of advance factories by the IDA or if this initiative has been abandoned.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Provision of Advance Factory Space.
The IDA's budget for its building operations activities in 1991 is £14.3 million, funded £10.65 million from grant-in-aid and £3.65 million net own resources. The Exchequer will continue to provide funds at a modest level to the IDA and indeed to SFADCo in respect of developments in the mid-west region for this purpose. In recent years much advance factory space has been provided by the private sector as part of a partnership arrangement with the State whereby the State will provide suitable serviced sites and private investors construct the factory space.
Can the Minister give us any idea of how much IDA advance factory space is vacant at present?
As that is a separate question I do not have the information here. I have figures which indicate how many factories have been built in recent times as that is what the question relates to but——
The Minister does not know whether it has been occupied.
——I do not have any information which would indicate how much of the space is vacant at present.
With regard to the discussion we have just had on the role of the review group, to concentrate on the indigenous sector, would the Minister confirm that this does not imply any blanket approval in relation to the moneys spent in attracting foreign industry and that this kind of item will be subjected to as assessment and analysis also by the review group?
The spending of money on advance factories?
Yes.
All aspects of industrial and public policy which impinge on industrial development will be looked at. That has been made clear.
The Minister referred to a figure of £15 million. Will he clarify whether that is exclusively for advance factories or for factories that have been attracted here by other means?
It is what the IDA will spend this year out of their own resources on building and on the preparation of sites. A small amount of this money will be spent on providing space for particular companies who have particular requirements and the remainder will be spent on upgrading and modernising existing space and on the provision of serviced sites suitable for industrial development throughout the country.
Is the allocation of approximately £15 million related to the improvement of some IDA-owned sites and the building of some advance factories for which there are no prospective occupants as of now?
No. The advance factories under the IDA's aegis are almost exclusively being built by private funds. Two small factories are being built this year by Shannon Development and the factories being built by the IDA out of their own resources are for specific clients.