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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Dec 1971

Vol. 257 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Statistics.

7.

asked the Taoiseach the number of people unemployed at the latest available date; and the total number unemployed at the corresponding date in 1961.

The number of persons on the live register was 66,342 on l9th November, 1971, and 47,706 on l8th November, 1961. The figures are not comparable owing to changes in the content of the live register introduced in January, 1966.

Question No. 8.

A Cheann Comhairle, I did not hear the reply to Question No. 7.

A Cheann Comhairle, you called on me and I read the answer.

Yes. I called Question No. 8, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

A Cheann Comhairle, I did not hear the reply.

Would the Deputy please resume his seat?

To be fair, we did not hear the reply. I do not think anybody did. Perhaps you would be kind enough to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to repeat it.

I am in the hands of the Ceann Comhairle.

If the Parliamentary Secretary wishes to repeat it, it is a matter for himself.

With your permission, Sir. The number of persons on the live register was 66,342 on 19th November, 1971, and 47,706 on 18th November, 1961. The figures are not comparable owing to changes in the content of the live register introduced in January, 1966.

Arising out of that reply, would the Taoiseach not now agree that an emergency exists with regard to the unemployment situation and would he not take adequate measures, in view of the startling figures, to deal with it?

This is a statistical question.

Surely the Parliamentary Secretary is misleading the House when he tells us the figures are not comparable. If you want to make them comparable the answer is 47,000 in 1961 and 94,000 now because, by manipulation, you took 27,000 off the figures three years ago. It is 94,000 now.

It is the Deputy who is misleading the House. I will give the House comparable figures for 2nd February, 1957, when the inter-Party Government were in office; the total number registered on 2nd February, 1957, reached 95,267.

The figure now is 94,000, if you compare like with like, and the Government do not give a jot. So long as the tacateers and speculators keep them there, they are quite satisfied.

The figure was 95,267 during the period of the inter-Party Government; on 2nd February, 1957, the figure was 95,267.

Question No. 8, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

And, prior to that, the figure was 147,000 under Fianna Fáil.

(Cavan): The Government call it redundancy now instead of unemployment.

And there are 60,000 fewer people at work today compared with 1957.

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