asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state whether any special circumstances operated in the Dublin and Dunleary registration areas between the 2nd January and the 27th March to increase the number of persons registered as unemployed at the local offices in these areas by 1,306; and what were the circumstances which caused the number of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit to be reduced by 1,362 between these dates although the number of registered unemployed had increased.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Unemployed and Unemployment Figures.
The increase of 1,306 in the number of persons registered as unemployed at the Local Offices of my Department in the Dublin and Dunleary areas, which include Arklow, Bray, Wicklow, Athy, Baltinglass, Droichead Nua, Edenderry, Kildare and Trim, is due to normal fluctuation. The personnel of the unemployed changes from day to day.
The decrease of 1,362 in the number of persons in receipt of benefit in the same areas is due partly to the exhaustion of their rights to unemployment benefit and partly to the normal movements of claimants into employment before their benefit rights were exhausted. The total number of persons registered as unemployed includes claimants to benefit and claimants who have exhausted their rights to benefit normally continue to register as unemployed if they continue to be unemployed.
Is the Minister aware that the figures for 3rd April, which the Minister made available only on 24th, show in respect of Dublin area alone a further increase of 58 unemployed persons and a further decrease of 154? Is the Minister aware that the increase in the number of registered unemployed at this time of the year in the area mentioned in the question is unprecedented under any administration other than a Fianna Fáil administration?
The Deputy is possibly aware that the situation is in many respects unprecedented. Persons are now registering for employment at labour exchanges who did not register heretofore. They are registering now because employment is being made available for them, whereas, heretofore, it would be useless for them to register because employment would not be available in any case. There are normal fluctuations, but the main reason why the increase in the number of registrants took place over a considerable period of last year was, in the first place, the additional facilities made available for that purpose and, secondly, the definite prospect of getting employment following registration.
Is the Minister aware that he is completely misinterpreting the figures so far as the City of Dublin is concerned; that while he may excuse the figures for the rural areas by the contention he advances and by reason of the fact that the policy of his Department has prevented county surveyors from taking on men direct, as they were able to take them on before, in the City of Dublin, there is not the additional type of registration to which the Minister refers? These figures, therefore, indicate a definite increase in unemployment which can be found in the streets of Dublin. That increase is unprecedented and I ask the Minister to go further into the situation.
I have already informed the Deputy that the figures relating to the Dublin area, which he has quoted, relate also to the following areas:— Arklow, Bray, Wicklow, Athy, Baltinglass, Droichead Nua, Edenderry, Kildare, and Trim.
Is the Minister aware that the cost of home assistance has gone up abnormally in these areas?
If the Deputy takes the trouble he will find the explanation.
Under previous administrations these people must have been working. Otherwise how did they live? They did not get home assistance because the cost has gone up.
I hate to destroy the obvious pleasure that Deputies opposite find in the number of unemployed but the fact is that the statistics do not bear out their contention at all.