asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he will indicate any plans he has for the provision of industry in the Leixlip-Celbridge area of County Kildare which might have the effect of ensuring continued employment in an area with a rapidly expanding population.

In 1982, the Industrial Development Authority agreed to purchase 50 acres of land at Lexilip for future industrial development. However, as a result of an appeal by local objectors, planning permission was not secured for the development and the purchase could not be completed.

The IDA continue to promote the north Kildare area for small industry development. They have completed negotiations recently with a new small industry which intends to establish in the former Ardagh Traders factory in Celbridge to manufacture industrial boilers and grate stokers. This project is expected to commence production in the near future.

Telemechanique Electrique who are now well established in Celbridge are also providing very substantial employment in the area, as are Irish Meat Packers who are based in Leixlip.

In Kilcock, Leaf Ireland recently announced plans for an expansion which will lead to additional jobs over the next two years.

Could the Minister indicate what steps are likely to be taken by the IDA in relation to pursuing the possibility of acquiring an industrial site or a site for an industrial estate in the Leixlip area, having regard to the increasing population which is at present 12,000. There is a considerable number unemployed there.

I accept the problem. However, the IDA recently made serious efforts to buy land there and met with objections. I should imagine that if they were to proceed in, not having bought the land, a costly process, they would want better assurance that they would not find themselves again before the Planning Appeals Board. Probably their best first step would be to have discussions with Kildare County Council on the matter. It might be useful if the Deputy would consider raising the matter with the county council to see if the county development team could enter into discussions with the IDA to arrive at a mutual arrangement for the acquisition of land which would not have the difficulties which the existing 50-acre site has had.

Could I mention, first, that the county development team are concerned about the situation. The difficulty at present is that industrialists seeking a site cannot have such a site provided for them in the Leixlip area. Might the Minister, in turn, pursue with the IDA the possibility of resurrecting the previous application, whether on the same site or on an alternative site, with a view to acquiring the site in the reasonably near future?

In view of what the Deputy has said, I shall have a discussion with the IDA on the possibility of acquiring further industrial land in this area. However, what I have said in response to the earlier question still has validity.

7.