Grants for indigenous Irish companies, elimination of Y2K problems and health and safety audits could be affected by renewed industrial action at Forfas and Enterprise Ireland.
Since Monday, 400 scientific and technical staff at both agencies have been working to rule, refusing to use information technology equipment. Their action is in pursuit of a pay and regrading scheme. The dispute is similar to one which disrupted services at both agencies and at IDA Ireland last February and March.
On that occasion, 750 SIPTU members in clerical and administrative grades refused to answer phones or use computers because of anomalies in pay and grading structures after a reorganisation of the State's development agencies.
After the SIPTU settlement MSF staff found they had fallen behind the clerical and administrative grades. They are also seeking to eliminate pay anomalies in their own grades.