Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht

2013 Allocations for Public Expenditure
Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

5:35 pm

Photo of Dinny McGinleyDinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy made a very specific point. Under the 1956 Act, the údarás is primarily responsible for industrial development within designated Gaeltacht areas. Other agencies such as the IDA and Enterprise Ireland are responsible for development outside the Gaeltacht areas. The Deputy mentioned projects which straddle Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas. There is an impediment in the Act which prevents the údarás from assisting in anything outside the designated Gaeltacht areas. However, having said this, there is a mechanism in the Act which enables co-operation between the údarás, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, and a working group has been established between the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Earlier this year, this co-operation was visible as Bioniche Pharma and the international company Mylan announced more than 600 jobs.

On the same day Údarás na Gaeltachta was represented and in negotiations with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. Some 350 jobs were created in Baldoyle, with 250 more in Galway. That shows the level of co-operation between the agencies. If the Deputy knows of a specific case, she can send on the details and we will see what can be done.

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