asked the Taoiseach the total number on the live register of unemployed at the latest available date, and on the nearest comparable date for 1967; and if he will give the reason for the increase.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Figures.
2.
The number of persons on the Live Register on 7th June, 1968, was 55,221 and the number at the corresponding date in 1967 was 51,263. The industrial analysis of the Live Register for 17th May, 1968, recently issued, sets out, in summary form, the changes since last year and the reasons for them in so far as they can be determined.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary tell us what the Government intend to do to provide work for those people? Is he aware that there are from 4,000 to 5,000 more people unemployed now than there were this time last year, that there are 70,000 fewer at work in Ireland than there were ten years ago and that we are 49,000 below the target set in the Second Programme for Economic Expansion? Have the Government any plans to provide employment——
We cannot have a speech.
This is a question, an important question affecting the 55,000 people unemployed to-day. Have the Government any plans to provide employment for those 55,000 people?
The policy of this Government as regards providing employment is well known.
The Government's plan does not seem to have been successful in the past two years, in view of the fact that unemployment has been increasing over that period.
Did we not have 100,000 unemployed in 1957?
Would the Deputy allow the Parliamentary Secretary to reply?
(Interruptions.)
The numbers the Deputy has got may have been increased somewhat as a result of the abolition of the employment period.
Not at all.
The reverse is the case. This is an important question and I want to ask a further supplementary question. In view of the fact that the Government's policy is so well known and due to the fact that 450,000 people have been driven by the Government to England in the past ten years, is the Taoiseach not now aware that if we did not have the safety valve of emigration to England, there would be 505,000 people unemployed in this country now?
This is argumentative.
It comes well from the Deputy and the Party he represents to speak of mass emigration.
There were 7,000 more people at work here in 1956 than there are today and the Parliamentary Secretary knows that.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
The Parliamentary Secretary still has not told us why we have this increase. Either he does not know or he will not tell us.
Order.