asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of foreign industrial proposals processed by the IDA and the number of new industries emanating therefrom in the first nine months of this year.

I propose to define a proposal processed by IDA as one for which the promoter had prepared a detailed submission, supplying all the information required in order to have the proposal considered by the board of the authority or by an IDA grant sub-committee.

For the first nine months of the year there were 33 such proposals by foreign industrialists considered by the IDA; 30 of these were approved, and three have already started production.