asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if in view of the very serious unemployment problem in Dundalk he will declare it an unemployment black spot; and if he will ask the IDA to take urgent action to secure new industries for the town.

2.

asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if the IDA have an action plan to promote small industries in Dundalk as part of their overall promotion of the town as an industrial base.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

I am aware of the serious unemployment situation in Dundalk and am assured that the Industrial Development Authority are making every effort to attract new industries to the town and to assist existing companies to strengthen their operations.

The IDA have an advance factory of 46,500 sq. ft., a privately financed factory of 42,000 sq. ft. and 90 acres of land available for further industrial development in the town. In addition, the IDA have provided a total of ten small industry factory units in Dundalk, seven of which are now occupied.

The IDA have appointed a small industry specialist to their north-east regional office to encourage the development of small industries in the region.

Later this year the IDA will hold a small industry promotional compaign in the town to encourage local people to set up new small industries.

In view of the fact that there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number unemployed in the town of Dundalk in the last 12 months, could the Minister be more specific and tell us what measures the IDA and the Department have taken to secure industries from abroad to invest in the town?

The Deputy knows from his experience — if he does not Deputy Faulkner will tell him — that there has been a very serious decline in the amount of available international investment. The experience in the countries we are competing with is that there is a diminishing pool of such investment. While I will do everything in my power to encourage foreign investment to come to Dundalk and recognise the seriousness of the problem in that town, I do not think one should look to foreign investment as the solution to the problem of unemployment in Dundalk. It is for that reason that I have actively encouraged the IDA to have a specialist in the north-east regional office looking for small industry opportunities particularly in Dundalk. That is what the IDA are doing. For the same reason, a small industries promotional campaign will be launched in the town later this year.

I agree with the Minister's intention to promote small industries locally. Everyone will agree that there is great necessity to do so and encourage entrepreneurs to put their expertise to work for themselves and for the good of the nation. However, I impress on the Minister the serious situation that exists in Dundalk. It is a centre towards which people have tended to gravitate.

A question, Deputy, please.

Families have settled down there and the children of many families found ready and secure employment——

The Deputy is making a case and not asking a question.

——as a result of Fianna Fáil's industrial promotion in the sixties.

I cannot allow the Deputy to proceed on those lines.

They are actively seeking employment. People feel that the Government are not doing what they should do to promote industry there.

The Deputy is being disorderly. Please resume your seat.

In view of the fact that there is a natural gas pipeline——

That arises on the next question.

——and the importance of it to industrial development generally in the area, has there been any attempt——

The next question deals with that.

I am asking about Dundalk and if there has been any co-ordination of the various interests involved.

The next question deals with gas and Dundalk.

Has there been any attempt to co-ordinate the various consumer interests, industrial promotion and so on in the area?

This is the subject matter of the next question.

Does the Minister accept that Dundalk has not attracted an equitable share of industry over the last 20 years because of its geographical location? Does he accept that Dundalk is not a high priority area and compares very badly with the priority given to Cork and Galway? Does he believe that the creation of a task force for the Border region would be beneficial to the industrial situation in Dundalk?

If the Deputy was here last day he will remember I was not very sympathetic to the idea which seeks to better one part of the country at the expense of another. I do not think that is a productive way to approach this problem. However, the facts are that the rate of increase in unemployment in Dundalk has been significantly above the national average. There are many places about which I will be asked questions later today where that is not the case. I am also aware that the Deputy has invited me to visit Dundalk to see the problem for myself and I have accepted that invitation. I am very concerned about the problem of unemployment in Dundalk in particular, which is a Border area whose problems are aggravated by that fact. Further, there is a special problem which we need to reassess as far as the regional policy aspects of industrial development are concerned in regard to towns like Dundalk which have a relatively long industrial history. They seem to be worse hit by unemployment than the newly developing areas.

Does the Minister accept that no town in this country has suffered as grievously from the Ulster troubles——

That is an argument.

I think it is relevant. There is a special case to be made for Dundalk and its needs because unemployment is very high in this town.

I do not think there is any point in getting into an argument about whether Dundalk has suffered more than Clones, Monaghan town or any other Border town. I have accepted that there is a serious problem in Dundalk, and that is as far as any Deputy can expect me to go.

Would the Minister direct the IDA to concentrate their efforts in Dundalk and if after a certain period those efforts are not bearing fruit, will he declare Dundalk a disadvantaged area and increase the percentage grants available for industrial promotion?

The IDA are already concentrating their efforts in the Dundalk area. I have already indicated in reply to the Deputy's original question two special measures that have been adopted for Dundalk which are not being adopted elsewhere.

I thought the Minister did not approve of that——

When it is justified; it is sometimes necessary.

3.