Vol. 480 No. 2
37 Mr. Dukes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise and Employment the nature of the reorganisation of the policies of development agencies which she envisages in order to ensure that rural areas get a fairer share of industrial development. [13726/97]
I am determined to re-focus enterprise policy to ensure that we expand enterprise and employment opportunities across all regions of the country. I have met with the chief executives of the IDA, Forbairt and FÁS and, in my discussions with each of them, I emphasised the Government's commitment to more balanced regional development. I am not in a position to indicate at this stage how this will be achieved but a number of options are being assessed and I intend to have further discussions on this matter with FÁS and the development agencies in the near future.
The reorganisation of the policies of the development agencies to ensure that rural areas get a fairer share is one of the major platforms of the Government's programme. What direction does the Tánaiste propose to take here? It is not enough to indicate that she will discuss this. The House expects substance. Does she envisage new regional structures or the establishment of other new structures to promote rural development?
I intend to examine the existing regional structures at FÁS, IDA Ireland, Forbairt and the county enterprise boards. We intend to have an open view with regard to delivering on this commitment, but I am determined to seek to deliver because it is bad for Ireland and for Dublin that so much happens in this region.
Most industrial development in recent years has occurred in the five cities. There are many aspects to this issue, such as infrastructural development, access and the availability of skilled labour. When the Deputy was Minister he sought to redirect grant aid in favour of regions other than the larger cities. The examination will include all of these matters and perhaps more. We are determined to make a serious effort to bring greater regional balance to industrial development in Ireland.
I congratulate the Tánaiste on her appointment. In view of her expressed views in the past with regard to county enterprise boards and the proliferation of development agencies, does she now intend to proceed with the abolition of these boards? As a representative of a Dublin constituency will she agree that the greatest concentration of poverty and unemployment is nonetheless in urban areas, especially in Dublin, Cork and Limerick?
There is a great concentration of unemployment and marginalisation in the Dublin area, but many of the jobs located in Dublin have not necessarily gone to Dubliners; people follow jobs. It is important, therefore, that we ensure balance so that there is a sustainable population throughout the regions. In many cases the services in the Dublin region are unable to cope because there are too many people, while in other areas we cannot sustain services because there are not enough people. As a small country of approximately 3.5 million we must be conscious of this.
I have not had an opportunity to consider the role and future of the county enterprise boards. We want the most effective way possible of ensuring industrial development throughout the country, in the different regions and rural areas. The Government will be committed to doing whatever is required to bring this about.
I congratulate the Tánaiste on her appointment. I also congratulate her on establishing this worthy objective of developing the regions, a matter close to my heart. However, I am concerned that there appears to be no clear ideas about attaining it.
Does the Minister agree that in achieving such an objective it is necessary to aim towards a standardisation of the cost of goods and services with regard to the regions to avoid the present ludicrous situation where a telephone call from, say, Ballydehob to a Department costs five times as much as one from Ballyfermot? This leads to extra location costs for Ballydehob.
Does the Minister accept that there are inequalities with regard to access to third level education in some of the regions? Would she be favourable to the maximum possible availability of third level education to all regions?
It is not the case that the policy has not been thought out. It is something I have considered over a long period. A range of measures is required. Infrastructural development is needed and priorities must be agreed on this. We need to ensure that there is an availability of skilled workers in the regions because they will not stay around in the absence of opportunities. We also need to look at the grant aid package and the structures of Forbairt, FÁS and the IDA. I have an open mind on these matters.
It is vital for this economy, especially at this time, to look seriously at how we can develop the regions to ensure a sustainable population throughout the country in so far as that is possible. That is the Government's desire and it is a commitment to which I intend to give considerable time and thought.
What does the Government mean by indicating that it will establish new structures to oversee local rural development? What has the Tánaiste in mind?
I did not say I would establish new structures. I said I would look at the existing structures in FÁS, the IDA, Forbairt——
I was referring to the programme for Government which indicates that structures will be set up.
Some of those structures refer to other Departments with regard to their delivery of services to rural areas in particular. As the Deputy knows, some aspects of rural development have been assigned to the Department of the Environment and some aspects of local development have been assigned to the new Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. Those structures refer to a number of Departments. We want to examine how the structures of Government and public agencies can be organised to deliver regional balance throughout the country in terms of industrial development and other matters.
