Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of the recently established Donegal interdepartmental group; its terms of reference and membership; if any meetings have been held; when it is due to report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31550/05]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the unemployment rate in County Donegal and the measures being adopted to redress the imbalance in respect of the national average unemployment rate. [31549/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 111 and 151 together.

The House will be aware that there have been significant job announcements in County Donegal recently with over 210 new jobs announced by Zeus Industrial Products, Letterkenny and PowerBoard, Burnfoot, which are being supported by the Industrial Development Agency and Enterprise Ireland, respectively. This was in addition to 423 jobs I announced earlier this year for the north west region. I assure the House that the State development agencies under my aegis, namely, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, FÁS and Donegal County Enterprise Board, are fully committed to supporting and promoting job creation and job retention in the county.

In addition to recent job announcements, this commitment is also evidenced by ongoing development and support by the agencies for a number of business parks and enterprise centres in County Donegal, which include the completion of the IDA Ireland Letterkenny business park, the provision of a 25,000 square foot advance office building at Windyhall, and the completion of site development work at Ballyshannon for a new facility and a development at Buncrana, where IDA Ireland is working with a local developer to provide new manufacturing and office buildings. In addition to providing support for nine community enterprise centres in County Donegal, Enterprise Ireland has provided substantial support for the expansion of the Letterkenny Institute of Technology business development centre and the development of a marine biotechnology centre.

While the Central Statistics Office does not provide information on unemployment rates on a county by county basis, the quarterly national household survey shows an unemployment rate of 4.9% for the Border region in the second quarter of 2005. Bearing in mind that unemployment in 1995 stood at 11.4%, this represents a very significant positive development.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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How much?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The figure was 11.4% in 1995 but it is now 4.9%.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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What is the current figure for County Donegal?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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However, I recognise that there have been significant job losses in County Donegal in recent years, which is why I have visited the county a number of times since becoming Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I have met many groups and companies on these visits to discuss the county's difficulties and its positive developments. My colleagues in Government recognise the particular difficulties in the county and we will work together to assist in improving the overall environment to increase the attractiveness of County Donegal as a location for enterprises.

In this context, I have established an interdepartmental group on County Donegal to be chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. I have asked the group, which will hold its first meeting this week, to report back to me as a matter of urgency. The group's terms of reference are to identify the various local issues posing barriers to the establishment and operation of enterprises, take stock of relevant projects and actions already under way or planned and identify measures that could be taken by the relevant Departments and agencies to support the environment for enterprise development and quantify the resources required. I assure the Deputies that support for job creation in County Donegal will continue to remain a priority for the State development agencies under the auspices of my Department.