asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if in view of the fact that approximately 7,500 people are now unemployed in Limerick city and county he will indicate the plans he has to provide immediate employment in the area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Limerick Employment.
4.
Five new industries with a potential employment of 696 jobs were approved for the Limerick area last year. Four of these, with an employment potential of 246, have already commenced and the factory for the fifth is under construction. In addition, expansions were approved for four existing firms which are planned to provide an additional 630 jobs.
I have also been informed by the Shannon Free Airport Development Co. Ltd. that two projects for location in different parts of County Limerick are under negotiation at present; between them they have an employment potential of 122.
The Shannon Free Airport Development Co. Ltd. are taking all possible steps at present to promote further industrial development in the area.
Would the Minister agree that even if all these potential jobs—they are very much potential— were to come to fruition it is still only a small fraction of the unemployment figure in Limerick which is proportionately the highest in the country?
It is necessary to put the Limerick figures into perspective. The increase in Limerick from November, 1974, to May, 1975, was a little over 2,000 jobs but of those 2,000, 1,460 are the people in Ferenka on short-time. Most of the remainder are in the construction industry. There will be a net gain from the vast majority of the 1,460 jobs I mentioned in my reply.
Is the Minister aware that Ferenka are not now on short-time for the great bulk of their employees? Is he aware that the unemployment figures for Limerick as given by the Taoiseach to Deputy O'Kennedy in this House in the course of a broader question on 22nd April show an increase from 3,522 on 5th April, 1974, to 7,480 on 4th April, 1975, and that the figure of 7,480 has increased since then? In these circumstances how can the Minister try to twist figures to suggest that there is ample employment available when the unemployment figure is the highest it ever was in that city and is the highest proportionately of any place in the country?
The figure the Deputy gave is for the 4th April and the figure I have is for 2nd May. That figure is 7,147 which is substantially less than 7,480 and does not correspond with the allegation that unemployment has risen in the interval. I am bound to be guided by the figures available to me and the Deputy may make what allegations he likes but I am quoting figures and not twisting them.
Does the Minister now accept that there are 7,147 people unemployed in Limerick? He has spoken about potential jobs for 1,000 people but can he tell the House what the other 6,000 people are supposed to do?
The Deputy is aware that there has never been a time since figures were kept when there was no unemployment. We are not talking about 7,000 people recently put out of work—we are talking about a much smaller number.
Half of that number have recently been put out of work.