asked the Taoiseach the total number of persons on the live unemployment register as of 31st December for each of the years 1966 to date.
10.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Figures.
9.
asked the Taoiseach the number of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit as at 31st December of each of the years 1965 to date.
11.
asked the Taoiseach the number of persons on the register of unemployed on the latest date for which figures are available and the corresponding figure for the same date last year.
12.
asked the Taoiseach the number of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit on the latest date for which figures are available and the corresponding figure for the previous year.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 12 together and to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving the particulars requested.
Following is the statement:
|
Date |
Number of persons(1) on the Live Register |
Date(2) |
Number of persons(1) in receipt of Unemployment Benefit |
|
30th December, 1966 |
61,309 |
7th January, 1966 |
33,691 |
|
29th ,, 1967 |
62,693 |
6th ,, 1967 |
37,114 |
|
3rd January, 1969 |
63,374 |
5th ,, 1968 |
33,678 |
|
2nd ,, 1970 |
63,518 |
3rd ,, 1969 |
35,864 |
|
1st ,, 1971 |
67,630 |
9th ,, 1970 |
35,379 |
|
8th ,, ,, |
69,552 |
8th ,, 1971 |
36,417 |
|
31st ,,,, |
76,454 |
7th ,, 1972 |
42,167 |
|
7th ,, 1972 |
77,801 |
(1) The comparability of the figures is affected by the extension of the duration of unemployment benefit payments from 156 to 312 days from 1st January, 1968, and by the introduction from 1st October, 1970 of the payment of retirement pensions at Post Offices to insured persons who have reached the age of 65, who have retired from employment and who satisfy certain contribution conditions.
(2) The figures for unemployment benefit are given for the first week in January as the returns for the end of December cover payments for two weeks owing to Christmas holiday arrangements.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that if we were to compare like with like, due to the Government's manipulation of the unemployment figures in 1968, we would now have over 100,000 people unemployed? Is this not of great concern to the Parliamentary Secretary and the Government and what do they intend to do about it?
It is a matter of grave concern to every right-thinking member of the community but I refute out of hand any suggestion of manipulation of the figures. This is a typically mischievous statement by the Deputy.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that on 11th May when I asked a similar question of the Taoiseach and told him we could have 7,000 redundancies this year and would have much more unemployment, the Taoiseach said, and I quote: "I hope I never admit any of the Deputy's assertions are right"? Will he now admit that I was right and that he and the Government have been proved completely wrong?
(Interruptions.)