asked the Taoiseach the total number of people at work in 1951 and at the latest available date; and the reason for the decrease.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Numbers at Work.
2.
The total number of people at work in April, 1951 was 1,217,000. The estimated number of people at work in April, 1966, which is the latest date for which the information is available, was 1,042,000. The estimate for 1966 will be revised when data from the 1966 Census of Population become available.
The decrease is mainly attributable to a fall of about 166,000 persons in the agriculture group offset by a rise of 18,000 in manufacturing industry.
We lost 71,000 people in that period.
Is this more of the Fianna Fáil progress the Minister was telling us about a few moments ago? What has happened to the 100,000 new jobs? Is it not true that we have 150,000 fewer people at work than we had 15 years ago?
The Deputy seems to forget his political history. The then Taoiseach made the statement in 1955 that we could provide a plan whereby, if conditions were suitable and capital available, the number of jobs could rise by 100,000. In 1956 the former Taoiseach quite rightly corrected his statement in a public statement, which was reprinted by the Irish Press and circulated to the whole country, in which he stated that the financial position of the country was now so serious that all previous calculations had to be revised. The 1957 election was fought in that atmosphere.
"Wives, get your husbands back to work".
Did he pay the Irish Press for printing it?
Is it not true that the financial position is so serious that we have 150,000 fewer at work than 15 years ago and that people are being sacked by the hundred every week now under Fianna Fáil?
If the Deputy reads the figures for unemployment benefit, he will find that is not so.
Will the Minister deny the figures we got last Friday which show that the number of people unemployed is up by 6,000 compared with this time last year? If that is Fianna Fáil progress, it is God help Ireland.
(Interruptions.)
After getting over the despondency caused by the Coalition Government, continuous progress has been made.
Will the Minister tell us where the continual progress is?
During the Coalition Government period, employment in industry fell and production remained static.
You would nearly believe it.
During the last year of the Coalition Government, 41,000 people were thrown out of work.
The Redundancy Bill is being stalled because of the number of people being let go from work.