Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 19 Nov 1953

Vol. 143 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Register of Unemployed.

Mr. MacBride

asked the Taoiseach if he will give particulars of the number of persons on the live register for the latest available date and for the corresponding dates of 1950, 1951 and 1952 in each of the main industrial groups.

Donnchadh Ó Briain

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving the desired information.

Following is the statement:—

NUMBER of persons on the Live Register at mid-October of the years 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953 in each of the main industrial groups.

Industrial Group	Mid-October
1950	1951	1952	1953*
Food	1,940	1,808	2,234	1,974
Drink	361	302	393	435
Tobacco	108	109	126	157
Textiles	938	1,635	1,295	831
Clothing	1,384	2,727	2,057	1,819
Skins and leather, rubber and waterproof goods	160	209	388	203
Woodworking, furniture and fittings	358	409	577	544
Metal manufactures and engineering	702	736	1,138	899
Vehicles	591	638	1,080	814
Fertilisers, chemicals, paints, etc.	192	276	300	246
Papermaking, stationery, printing, etc.	302	379	509	513
Mining and quarrying	155	92	214	209
Bricks, building materials, pottery, etc.	136	136	204	231
General building (houses, etc.)	3,805	3,950	5,524	6,185
Other construction (roads, etc.)	6,000	5,730	7,324	7,164
Gas, electricity and water	211	196	284	245
Transport and communication	2,479	2,520	3,651	3,147
Distributive trades	4,554	4,299	5,230	4,974
Finance	141	164	271	204
Public administration	970	945	1,095	1,260
Professions	280	278	325	418
Personal services	2,416	2,402	2,704	2,874
Entertainments and sports	363	398	413	447
Agriculture	10,788	9,970	10,855	13,827
Fishing	300	241	257	312
Other	794	747	995	994
TOTAL	40,428	41,296	49,443	50,926

*The content of the figures in 1953 differs from that of those in the earlier years due to the legislative changes effected by the Social Welfare Act, 1952. While it is not possible to give a precise measure of the effect of the legislative changes in increasing the Live Register an investigation made in October, 1953, indicated that the increase at that date was in the region of 5,500.