asked the Taoiseach whether any remedial measures are under consideration to combat the increase in unemployment since October; and if he will make a statement on any Government measures to meet the sharp increase in winter unemployment.
3.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Level.
2.
asked the Taoiseach if the Government have any immediate plans for dealing with the present high level of unemployment.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
I would refer the Deputy to the statement on the economic situation made by the Minister for Finance on the 27th October last. The measures introduced by the Minister on that date were designed specifically to increase employment opportunities by providing a stimulus to economic activity.
In keeping with the pattern in most other countries, unemployment in Ireland generally rises in the winter. The measures to which I have just referred will help to moderate the effects of the seasonal rise in unemployment this winter.
Will the Taoiseach accept that his figure of 66,300 people at present unemployed will more than likely, going on present trends, increase to 70,000 in a matter of weeks and this, proportionate to the population here, would amount to two million unemployed in Britain? Is the Taoiseach aware that the one million unemployment position in Britain is being treated as an emergency situation? What emergency plans do this Government have to combat this tragic unemployment spreading throughout the country?
We have taken steps, to which I have already referred. I am not denying at all that unemployment has increased mainly because of redundancies, but we are taking steps in that respect too. We hope, with the steps already announced and the other steps we are taking, these redundancies will be reduced to the minimum.
Would the Taoiseach be in a position to state how effective he believes these measures will be in reducing the present level of unemployment?
I cannot give figures but the immediate effect I think will be in the field of building activities, to which over £1 million was added as a result of the Minister for Finance's proposals. As the Deputy is aware, an increase in building activity reflects itself in other spheres of economic activity at an early stage.
Question No. 3.
Could the Taoiseach say what proportion of the people found redundant, to whom he refers, have been retrained to other activities? Would it be 10 per cent?
I could not answer that. If the Deputy puts down a question it will be answered.
Does the Taoiseach appreciate that there has been an increase of about one-fifth in the numbers seeking unemployment benefit and that this increase can be related more directly than any other aspect to redundancy, including an enormous number of young people? Can the Taoiseach honestly tell the House that he and the members of his Government sufficiently appreciate that unemployment is now, at this time of the year, 5,000 in excess of the figure of last year? The Taoiseach has been asked in reference to another question whether he is standing idly by. I would accuse this Government of just standing idly by in the face of these tragic unemployment figures.
I cannot deal with the percentages and increases referred to by the Deputy. I admit readily that the increase in unemployment is very significant this year but this is mainly attributable to redundancies caused as a result of a recession in world trade, a recession which is having its effect in almost every other modern progressive country in the world.
Not to the same effect.
The Deputy has not given me a chance to finish. We are taking steps in order to obviate the effect of that recession. It will not happen overnight. We know that perhaps even further redundancies will take place but, apart from the measures I have mentioned, before the Deputies jumped to their feet to ask further supplementaries, we have increased the availability of capital in both grants and loans by £8 million to the Industrial Development Authority, and Taiscí Stáit Teoranta, all of which will be designed to increase economic activity and industrial activity.
Will the Taoiseach state when the present high figure for unemployment was exceeded? Will he not admit that the figure is much worse now than it was in 1961?
Again, I have not got those comparative figures. The figures are high.
They are much higher than they were ten years ago.
I remember a time when it was 95,000 to 100,000.
(Interruptions.)
It is over that now because you took 24,000 off three years ago by fiddling with the figures.
(Interruptions.)
Was the Taoiseach a schoolboy when Fianna Fáil had a record number of 134,000 unemployed in the 1930s?
I may have been a schoolboy but the Deputy was a Minister when there was a total of 100,000——
(Interruptions.)
I insist on asking a supplementary question.
The Deputy may not insist.
I wish to protest against the Taoiseach's evasion of this serious problem.
I am not evading it.
(Interruptions.)
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Taoiseach's reply I propose to raise the matter on the Adjournment, with the permission of the Chair.
(Interruptions.)
Would the Taoiseach say if industrialists coming in here have their cases investigated to ensure that they are sound people to set up industries or are there people coming in to collect money provided by the people and then pulling out in a few years? Is this the cause of the redundancy that is occurring?
The Deputy should know well that grants are given only after each proposition is examined and its viability assessed and also only after the people concerned, the proposers, put up their own money and the amount of grant never matches the amount of money put up by the proposers themselves.
Does the Taoiseach appreciate that the figures for unemployment here are almost as bad as they are in the North where warlike conditions exist? Does he even know that?