Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Jan 1996

Vol. 460 No. 5

Written Answers. - Culliton Report

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

24 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if the Government has abandoned implementation of the remainder of the recommendations contained in the Culliton report; if not, the progress, if any, made on implementation of these recommendations in 1995; the timescale for the recommendations to be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18505/95]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

The Government has not abandoned the implementation of the decisions taken in May 1993 by the previous Government on the Culliton and Moriarty reports. On the contrary, there have been significant advances in the implementation process during the past year, under the present Government, particularly in relation to taxation, energy, telecommunications, finance for industry and the promotion of indigenous enterprise. It is my intention, in line with the commitment given in "Employment through Enterprise", to publish as soon as possible this year a full review of what has been achieved in the period since May 1993. This will be done in conjunction with the publication of a paper on enterprise strategy on which work is nearing completion.

I share the generally held view that the Culliton report was an outstanding contribution to public policy on enterprise in Ireland. It was a catalyst for change across a wide range of policy areas, as well as institutional arrangements, affecting enterprise. These changes are, I believe, beginning to work through to enterprise performance and to employment. At the same time, the Culliton report was not, of course, the last word on enterprise policy; there can be no last word in such a dynamic area. The new work on enterprise strategy, to which I have referred, will be seeking to build on the insights of the Culliton report and on the achievements and experience of its implementation to date.