asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism the number of new jobs provided in Ireland since 1977; the estimated number of these jobs provided in companies directly controlled by, or subsidiaries of, foreign firms; and the estimated percentage of the work force currently employed in such firms.

I take it that the Deputy's question refers to employment in manufacturing industry. The number of new, first-time jobs created in manufacturing industry in IDA-assisted projects in the three-year period 1977-1979 is estimated at 42,000.

I have no information as to the proportion of these new jobs provided by foreign-owned or foreign-controlled companies. However, the pattern of recent IDA job approvals suggests that about 60 per cent of new job approvals are in foreign-owned enterprises; and, if this percentage is applied to the 42,000 new jobs created since 1977, it would suggest that about 25,000 of these are in foreign-owned firms, representing about 11.4 per cent of total manufacturing employment at end 1978.

Is the Minister happy with the situation in which over half of recently created manufacturing employment is in the hands of foreign enterprises?

It has always been the policy of this Government and other Governments here to encourage foreign investment. What I am very happy about is that the level and percentage of domestically provided jobs is rising at the rapid rate we now see.

Would the Minister care to give the House some indication of the percentage level of jobs created by foreign enterprises which he would regard as a real threat to the economic stability of the country?

That is a separate question.

Will the Minister give us information in relation to the number of jobs on the ground. The question is asked about the number of jobs provided since 1977 and the Minister mentions the number of jobs created. Could he give us the number of people actually employed out of that 42,000 jobs created?

That is the number of jobs that were created on the ground. They are not just approvals. They are jobs that were provided.

My calculation would indicate that the target for 1977 was 60,000 jobs by now, so that there is a shortfall of 18,000. Is the Minister prepared to accept that?

I have just given the Deputy the number of jobs created which is an all time record of 42,000. Surely the Deputy must see and appreciate the progress that has been made. There have been job losses at the same time. We must realise that there are industries that have failed as well as industries that have started. There have been a number of industries and the net increase, because of the job losses, is 18,000 short of the original target.