asked the Minister for Labour the number of workers previously redundant who were re-employed during the past six months.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Redundant Workers.
48.
Of the 4,968 persons notified as redundant under the Redundancy Payments Acts during the six-month period May-October, 1972, 2,410 are no longer registered as unemployed.
Does the Minister consider a figure of less than 50 per cent of those who became redundant re-employed a good figure?
No. I am never happy with any unemployment figure.
Would the Minister agree it is far from satisfactory?
I would.
49.
asked the Minister for Labour the number of factories which closed during the past six months; the number of redundancies which resulted; and the number of those made redundant who have since been re-employed.
50.
asked the Minister for Labour the total number of industries and factories which have closed this year to date; and the total number of resulting redundancies.
I propose with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 49 and 50 together.
In the present year to 31st October, a total of 43 industrial establishments have been reported as having closed. The total number of workers involved was 1,982.
In the six month period 1st May to 31st October, 1972, 35 industrial establishments were reported as having closed involving a total of 1,760 workers.
The total number of redundancies notified to my Department during the six month period to 31st October, 1972, was 4,968. Of this number 2,410 are no longer registered as unemployed.
Does the Minister think we have seen the worst or does he see a continually deteriorating trend?
I have given the Deputy the worst side of the picture. Six of the industries I mentioned have reopened. The figures I have given him are for persons who are no longer drawing redundancy payments and that is the only means we have of knowing the number of those not in employment. Since January, our National Manpower Service has placed over 3,000 people in employment.
But the situation is grim.
It has very, very bright sides.
Does the Minister think, if the situation has many bright sides, that it will improve considerably in the next year?
Yes.
Have any projections been made by the Minister's Department as to what the situation will be like?
The Department is counting on higher emigration to resolve the problem.
What does the Deputy mean by "higher emigration"? There is no emigration at the moment.
The Deputy is thinking of the time when emigration saved the situation for the Government of the day. Emigration was running at the highest figure ever then.
There were extenuating circumstances.