A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I am grateful to your office for giving me the opportunity to raise this matter on the Adjournment. My Parliamentary Question No. 91 of 20 November 1997 asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the special measures, if any, which would be taken to attract inward investment to County Cavan; if her attention had been drawn to the fact that a number of centres throughout the county need new employment opportunities; if a special effort will be made to create much needed employment in County Cavan in view of the difficulties Border counties had endured in the past 28 years; if she will instruct her Department and the industrial development agencies to undertake special promotional programmes to ensure that County Cavan would obtain at an early date some of the welcome inward investment coming to this country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. The Tánaiste replied that she intended to actively implement the Government's policy of regional industrial development and job dispersal. I welcomed the Tánaiste's statement that regional development is now a primary industrial objective.
I take this opportunity to renew my appeal to the Tánaiste, the Minister of State and the State development agencies to give special consideration to the needs of the Border region, particularly County Cavan. Fortunately for this country, there has been substantial inward investment recently but, unfortunately, none has come to my county or constituency.
The information age offers this country an enormous opportunity to enhance our economic future, and that opportunity needs to be properly grasped. All regions of the country deserve to benefit from such opportunities as new technologies can be used to encourage economic activity, particularly in rural areas such as Cavan. IDA Ireland has made provision for the construction of an advance factory of 23,000 square feet near Cavan town and this is a welcome measure.
Cavan, with a population of 53,000, is predominantly an agricultural county. Its industrial base is built around the indigenous food sector which represents the largest sector of manufacturing employment. The development of the county's economic potential has been impeded in the past due to a number of factors, including over-dependency on primary agricultural activities, lack of inward investment, absence of suitable work space and industrial buildings and a negative perception due to its Border location. With our heavy reliance on agriculture, quota restrictions and other measures to control production will have a negative effect on employment in the county. Rationalisation in the dairy co-operative sector and other areas continues to have a negative impact on the performance of our traditional secondary industries which represent the core industrial base of Cavan. Consequently, effective measures are necessary now to meet the future labour market needs of the county.
Cavan has had limited investment over the past 15 years from international mobile corporations. In fact, no inward investment of any consequence has come to the area in more than ten years. The area is thus entirely dependent on local entrepreneurship and indigenous development generally. Foreign investment, accounting for 27 per cent of the county's manufacturing employment, is substantially below the State average of 46 per cent. This limits the potential for development in the sub-supply sector of the local economy.
Cavan has suffered socially and economically as a result of the negative impact of more than 25 years of troubles in the North. Cross-Border trade and inward investment have been seriously curtailed and the development of our natural resources, particularly tourism, was undermined in those years. All too often in the past we were told by Governments and State agencies that it was particularly difficult to attract industry to the Border region. With the cessation of violence in the North, we in County Cavan and others deserve the economic dividend of the establishment of peace. Our people need work and they want those employment opportunities in their own county.
I mentioned earlier that a new advance factory is being constructed near Cavan town, and I appeal to the Tánaiste, the Minister of State and the industrial development agencies to market that facility as vigorously as possible. I hope that a project providing employment in the information technology or knowledge industries will be attracted to that site.
A number of towns in the county need new job opportunities. Another advance factory should be provided in the county and such a facility should be constructed to European Union food standards. The county has a strong and highly regarded tradition in the food industry and a town like Killeshandra, which is synonymous with the dairy industry, should be chosen for such a facility. Obviously, there will be further opportunities to develop our food industry and centres such as Killeshandra should be targeted and marketed in that direction.
