asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if, in view of the most recent and alarming unemployment figures for Waterford city, he will designate that area for special treatment when considering the siting of new industries.

I am concerned at the serious employment problem in Waterford city and am assured that the Industrial Development Authority have been intensively promoting the Waterford area for new industry.

In recent years the IDA have secured a number of new overseas industries for Waterford city and have also supported the expansion of existing enterprises. Between them these projects are expected to provide between 6,000 and 7,000 new jobs at full production. Many of these jobs have yet to come on stream.

That is not the question I asked. I asked specifically if the Minister would designate Waterford city and area for special treatment in view of the enormous unemployment rate, which is far greater than the inner city area of Dublin for which the Minister is designating grants of 60 per cent instead of the normal 45 per cent. Why is Waterford not being given similar treatment or even preferential treatment in view of the enormous rate of unemployment?

As I have already said, the IDA will make every possible effort to attract more industry to Waterford city. I am concerned about the high level of unemployment there, but I would point out to the Deputy that 75 per cent of the jobs lost in the Waterford city area came from outside the manufacturing industry. When we are talking about new projects in the manufacturing industry the Deputy should realise that 75 per cent of the losses did not come in the manufacturing area. Every effort will be made for Waterford city and for the country as a whole. We are all aware of the difficult economic situation around the country in relation to employment. I assure the Deputy I will spare no effort in bringing as much investment as possible to the country.

(Waterford): Would the Minister not accept that the IDA projections for the Waterford city area are far too low? Would he not accept that, when he speaks about the efforts of the IDA to project employment not only at national level but even at regional level, there is practically nothing in the pipeline? Will the Minister specify where the 6,000 to 7,000 jobs he speaks about will come from and over what time span is he speaking? Is he speaking about five, ten or 15 years?

I am aware of the difficult employment situation in Waterford city. The projects that already exist there are expected to provide between 6,000 and 7,000 new jobs at full production. Intensive efforts are being made by the IDA in relation to Waterford city, recognising that there has been such a fall out in employment in the non-manufacturing sector. That is the particular area that the attention of the IDA has been drawn to by me. There are difficult areas around the country as well as Waterford, but every effort will be made by the IDA to attract more manufacturing industry and more service industry under the new service industries programme to try to alleviate unemployment.

As far as the people of Waterford are concerned, the Minister and the IDA are fishing those figures of 6,000 or 7,000 out of mid-air. Will the Minister give us a breakdown and tell us if those jobs have been created or are about to be created? Those figures are absolutely fictitious in our opinion.

The extraction of all the individual projects approved and the projected jobs is not available in full detail here to me. I will have it extracted and I will circulate it to both Deputies. They will then have an opportunity of coming back at a later stage in relation to this.

I fully appreciate the efforts made by the regional manager, his staff and the IDA in attracting industry to Waterford. Does the Minister intend to increase the level of grant aid to centres such as Waterford, which are suffering more than any other part of the country from a high unemployment level in view of the fact that he has increased by 15 per cent the maximum level of grant aid to firms in inner city Dublin? Would he increase the maximum level of grant aid to centres such as Waterford by a similar percentage?

I understand the feelings of the Deputies from Waterford city in relation to their city. I am having the IDA examine all the highest unemployment areas in the country so that they will get very special attention. There are areas that have suffered worse than others, I am fully conscious of that. I am having a full assesment made and we will redirect our efforts to the specific areas which have suffered most in this very deep economic recession. When that information comes to hand we will be directing our efforts at the worst hit areas in the country.

That does not satisfy me. I would like, with your permission, to raise this matter on the Adjournment.

The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.

6.