asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism if he will extend to non-export orientated industry and service industries the grant aids currently available to export orientated industry; and, if not, why.

The assistance provided by the Industrial Development Authority under their various schemes of grant aid does not discriminate as between export and non-export manufacturing activities.

Since 1974 the IDA have been operating a programme for service or non-manufacturing industries under which grant assistance is given for, inter alia, projects which are in substitution for services which previously had to be imported.