asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if a review of the activities and policies of SFADCo have been carried out; and if so, if he will outline any changes he proposes in their future strategy and policies.

The strategy and policies of all State agencies for which I have responsibility, including Shannon Development, are kept under constant review. The company are currently undertaking a major review of their activities but, as yet, no decisions have been taken on this.

Is the Minister aware that there is a certain amount of disquite in this organisation, an organisation who have done an excellent job in the various roles they have been given — in testing new ideas, industrial strategies and so on? Would he agree that it is time the review was available? How long has it been in progress? Surely it is time for decision making in this area and for the organisation to be allowed proceed with their new role, that is, if they are to be given a new role.

The review to which the Deputy refers is an internal review that was undertaken by SFADCo on their initiative. It is a matter for them as to when the review is completed. It was commenced in May 1983 and I understand it has been carried out mainly by their own staff, a fact on which I compliment them. They rely to only a very modest extent on outside consultants and that is a very welcome trend in agencies of this kind. I share the Deputy's general confidence in this organisation and I hope the review when completed will enable them to improve their performance further.

Has the Minister not expressed any interest in regard to any of their policies being changed or in taking from them any function they have performed up to now?

In the context of overall industrial policy I have in mind a number of policy changes which will affect SFADCo. That is a normal situation. The review referred to concerns essentially the internal functions of the organisation.

The position then is that the Department are not carrying out any review into the role of SFADCo or of the direction of their policies? Also, did the Minister not express the view at some stage that the organisation's tourist activities in America should be hived off to Bord Fáilte?

I have answered the question in regard to what is an internal review and I indicated in my recent reply that the strategies and policies of all State agencies are kept under constant review by my Department. This occurs in two contexts, in the context of industrial policy on which a review has been completed and also in the context of the 1985 Estimates on which work has commenced.

I asked the Minister also if he expressed the view that the tourism activities of SFADCo in the US should be taken over by Bord Fáilte.

I do not recall ever expressing a public opinion on that matter.

It seems to be a separate question.

Was it said within the organisation?

If the Deputy is going around within various State organisations getting information about who said what to whom perhaps he is putting the people with whom he is having these contacts in some difficulty.

I am not doing that. Is the Minister saying that what was printed in a national newspaper a week or two ago about the remark to which I have referred was incorrect?

I did not read the national newspaper in question.

That surprises me since the Minister makes so much use of the newspapers. However, the handlers probably look after all that for him.

I am well able to look after my own affairs but I am not obsessed with everything that appears in the papers.

Do SFADCo propose spreading their activities over a wider area and in the area of small industries is there close co-operation between themselves and the IDA?

The answer to the first part of the question is no. I answered a question in that regard from Deputy Connolly some time ago. Regarding the second part of the question, there is full co-operation between the agencies. The whole purpose of the industrial policy review I am undertaking is to ensure that that co-operation is maximised.

Question No. 11 postponed.