asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the plans he has for further industrial expansion in (i) Clonmel, (ii) Tipperary town, (iii) Cashel, (iv) Carrick-on-Suir, (vi) Cahir, (vi) Fethard and (vii) any other venue in South Tipperary.

I am informed by the Industrial Development Authority that 1,135 first time grant-aided jobs have been created in the south Tipperary area during the period 1978-1981.

In addition, the IDA approved 22 projects for south Tipperary in 1981 which are expected to provide a total of 865 jobs at full production. Many of these jobs, and jobs in projects secured in earlier years have yet to come on stream.

The IDA will continue to vigorously promote the area for industrial development and in particular will intensify their efforts to secure new industries for their existing vacant advance factories at Cahir, Cashel, Clonmel and Fethard.

The IDA are also seeking a suitable industrial site in Tipperary town.

As usual the Minister did not reply to the question I put down. I asked the Minister to indicate the industrial plans for six named towns in south Tipperary and any other venues in that area but the Minister has not given me that information. What is the position with regard to Clonmel? What plans has he for further industrial expansion in that town?

I am sure the Deputy is aware that any negotiations for industrial projects are confidential. In fact, projects have been lost because of a breach of confidence by one side or the other or by advance notification. These negotiations are carried out in confidence. Companies do not wish to have their business discussed in public or anywhere else.

I will be only too glad when pursuing the attraction of industries to Cashel, Carrick-on-Suir and Cahir to announce them at the appropriate time. It is a pleasure to be able to announce such projects but we must first get people interested, get the project together and approved. That is the sort of time scale we must go through when attracting a new industry to any area.

I am aware of the concern expressed by the Minister and I am not asking him or the IDA to break confidence with any company. I want the Minister to tell the House the specific plans he has for industrial expansion in the towns mentioned in my Question. The Minister has not given me a satisfactory reply.

The Deputy has said he appreciates the position and then asks for specific information about projects we are following up in various towns. That is a contradiction. The Deputy appreciates the confidentiality of any negotiations that take place in any area. I am not at liberty to break that confidence, nor is the IDA, until everything is signed, sealed and delivered. The Deputy can be assured that every effort is being made to follow up projects in the towns mentioned. The maximum amount of manufacturing industry that can be attracted to those towns will be followed up in our general drive for more manufacturing industry throughout the country.

The only information I can get from the Minister is that he does not have any plans for industrial expansion in south Tipperary.

The overall operation has started already. We must have investment today to get jobs tomorrow and that is where we must start. We must have confidence before we get the confidence for investment and then we get people switched on to come here.

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