asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism the reasons industrial premises, which were previously occupied by Government and IDA-sponsored companies which have since gone into liquidation and whose premises are now being sold at low prices to private individuals and companies, are not being purchased by IDA and the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The existing stock of factories in the Industrial Development Authority's ownership comprises factories directly built by the authority and factories acquired following liquidations or restructuring. In the past, the IDA have purchased 60 factories from companies which ceased to operate or as part of restructuring packages to assist companies in their efforts to become viable. In view, however, of the existing stock of available factory space the industrial development agencies under the aegis of my Department have no plans to acquire any further industrial properties.

Will the Minister agree that it is short-sighted when some of those factories are going at a low price that they are not purchased by the IDA?

No, I do not.

4.

asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he will outline in detail the number of empty advance factories in each city and town in the country; the date on which the building of each factory was completed; the internal area of each factory; the number of these factories for which there are active negotiations with industrialists; the number that have been rented to existing adjacent industries; and the number of advance factories in the country that have been rented or leased to companies as at 31 December 1983 and to date.

The tabular statement which follows gives details of vacant factory space throughout the country exclusive of small industry units, details of which have been provided in response to a separate parliamentary question by the Deputy.

It is assumed that the Deputy's reference to "existing adjacent industries" is to factories which have been let on a temporary basis to existing industries adjacent to such factories. The total number of such factories is 22.

A total of 391 IDA advance factories were leased to manufacturing companies at 31 December 1983. The total number of factories leased at present, including SFADCo advance factories, is 740.

Advance Factories—Medium/Large Industry

The Minister has told the House that 740 factories are vacant around the country and I should like to know if he considers it time for a redirection of policy and a new look to be taken at them so as to make some use of vacant factory space particularly in view of the high level of unemployment?

The factories I have referred to are occupied, not vacant.

How many factories are vacant?

That is a separate question. A total of 740 factories are leased at present, including those at SFADCo.

How many are vacant?

That is a separate question.

Has the Minister that information in his brief?

The information is given in the tabular statement. The figure of 740 refers to factories leased. There is information given in the tabular statement about other factories which are not leased or reserved.

They are vacant?

Obviously.

Will the Minister tell us how many are vacant? The Minister is not very forthcoming in his reply.

5.

asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism the number of vacant small industrial units which are available in each town or city throughout the country; the number of small industrial units in any town or city throughout the country which are occupied at present; the number of these vacant units on which there are active negotiations with industrialists for them; and the total area and value of all IDA property in the country at present.

Details of the number, location and status of vacant small industry units, up to and including 10,000 sq. ft. are set out in a tabular statement which I propose to have circulated in the Official Report.

I am informed that the total area of factories in IDA ownership is 10.25 million sq. ft. which includes factories leased to promoters and being sold to promoters approved by the IDA for grant assistance. These factories have a present day replacement value of approximately £250 million. The compilation of the detailed information requested by the Deputy in regard to occupied advance factories would be time consuming, wasteful of resources and would not justify the effort involved.

Following is the statement:

Vacant Small Industry Units

I should like to put a question to the Minister similar to the one I asked him earlier but which he sidestepped and did not bother to answer. Is it not time, with the amount of vacant factory space throughout the country, and the amount of investment that is used, for a new direction of policy by the Minister and the IDA in regard to putting those vacant factories to use?

There is a case to be made for examining the use of these factories in the most flexible manner possible for industry. One of the ideas that has been developed by SFADCo is to provide within a large factory a number of work space units. That is one way that existing plants can be used more intensively where large industries do not exist. However, there are limits to what one can do in this area.

Will the Minister tell the House if the committee set up to look into import substitution were able to utilise any factory space for industries engaged in producing materials that are being imported?

The Deputy no doubt will be aware that I have given a great deal of time in recent months to promoting the import substitution drive particularly in the food area. I am aware also that the IDA have done extensive studies on this area which have been published and as a result of this published information a number of projects have come forward. I am also engaged in consultation with supermarkets and other retailers with a view to getting them to assist in import substitution projects and I hope that some at least of these will be located in some of the advance factories I have mentioned.