Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:340 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation his response to the Donegal task force report which was presented in June 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18922/99]
Written Answers - Employment Initiative.
As the Deputy will be aware, the report of the Donegal Employment Initiative was finalised earlier this year and was presented to Government by the Tánaiste in July. Bord Fáilte has already agreed to support the work of the initiative by way of substantial additional marketing funding to support tourism development in Donegal, and CERT by way of specially tailored courses for displaced Fruit of the Loom workers.
The Tánaiste, in welcoming the report, stated that the Government had decided that all relevant Departments should examine the report and consider the investment priorities it proposed in drafting the operational programmes of the national development plan. Accordingly, in so far as individual elements of the report relate to my own portfolio, I will be having priorities as identified in the report considered by my Department in the context of the drafting of its input into operational programme for the Border, midland and western region under the next national development plan.
As the Deputy will be aware, the report recommended a seven year development strategy based on a comprehensive analysis of the development challenges facing Donegal. The Government is committed to focusing all the strengths of the State's development agencies on County Donegal to address its job creation and development needs. These efforts are beginning to bear considerable fruit. Since the establishment of the initiative, the Tánaiste has already announced a number of new projects for the county with the potential to generate over 500 jobs. It is the Government's intention that this momentum should be maintained.