Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

I welcome the progress made with the industrial site in Ballina which has been discussed for donkey's years since the last time I raised the matter in the House. Perhaps we can make further progress, as IDA Ireland has not delivered. The Minister has mentioned that he does not have anything to do with IDA Ireland, but he cannot deny that the buck stops with him. Perhaps he is not aware of certain developments. For example, the former Henniges plant on the Crossmolina road has been converted into a 12-unit retail warehouse and garden centre. When the plant closed in 2001 with the loss of 170 jobs, the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Harney, said her "immediate priority" was to find "an alternative industry for Ballina". She pointed out that the Government aimed "to ensure that 50% of all new jobs are located in the Border, midlands and west region". She said she would "ensure that Ballina figures prominently" in further job creation efforts. She mentioned that she had asked IDA Ireland and other State agencies "to actively promote Ballina", but new investment was not forthcoming. Some 230 staff at the Volex plant in Castlebar which employed 950 people at one time were laid off in January 2002. In August 2004 the plant was sold for over €5 million to a local auctioneer who was operating on behalf of a consortium. It later became a car showroom and a furniture sales operation. Many IDA Ireland factories have been sold and are now being used for purposes for which they were not originally intended. That sends the wrong message to those who hope to be able to stay in the west and work in their own areas.

When I met officials from IDA Ireland, they told me they could not do much for County Mayo because of the poor state of its infrastructure, including roads such as the N5 to Westport, the N26 to Ballina and the R312 to Belmullet. Similar problems are encountered in the county's telecommunications infrastructure, for example, as a result of the Government's failure to spend €3.75 billion in the BMW region. We all hope the western rail corridor will be developed, but as matters stand we cannot even get an early train to Dublin.

IDA Ireland claims to have arranged nine visits by potential investors over a number of years. I do not know where they were brought in Ballina because there was nothing to show them. I hope this will change. I ask the Minister to advise me of the significant changes made since October when I last raised this issue which I have been raising consistently. Millions of euro are being spent on the rental of vacant IDA Ireland premises in County Mayo. Does IDA Ireland have a policy of selling its premises to private enterprise to turn them into car showrooms? I am sure these private enterprise people are very happy. I question the potential for jobs and the reason for these factories being vacant.

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