asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism the number of job losses in the clothing, footwear and textile industries in (a) 1979 and (b) 1980 to date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Job Losses.
8.
Manufacturing firms are not obliged to notify me of job losses and I do not therefore have precise information on this matter. However, information on redundancies provided to the Department of Labour by employers in these three sectors shows that in 1979 the number of redundancies was 939 in the textiles industry and 307 in the clothing and footwear sectors combined. The corresponding figures for the first three months of this year are 549 and 96 respectively. These figures are derived from notifications which must be given under the Redundancy Payments Acts in circumstances where employers are laying off workers who are regarded as being qualified for redundancy payments. To that extent the figures may not be regarded as comprehensive.
I sought information on job losses as opposed to the numbers of people on redundancy payments. There are many people unemployed who are not in receipt of redundancy payments. I am asking the Minister when will he be able to make figures available concerning job losses as opposed to those in receipt of redundancy payments?
There is a deficiency in the whole area of statistics, and an interDepartmental committee are working to try to improve the position. I accept the point made by the Deputy that the figures I have given refer only to redundancies. I am not in a position to give the information the Deputy has sought but I am trying to improve the position of statistical information.
Have the Department any idea at all of the level of job losses in these areas?
I have given the Deputy the information.
He has given us information from the Department of Labour. I am seeking information about job losses notified to the Department of the Minister of State now in the House.
I will give the Deputy the results of an internal IDA survey of manufacturing industry compiled by the IDA for planning purposes only. It shows that in 1979 gross job losses in the clothing, footwear and textile industries amounted to 3,783, and gross job gains amounted to 4,444.
Are they job creations?
They are actual jobs on the ground. It meant an overall net gain in employment of 661. Similar figures for 1980 will not be available until early next year. I repeat that these figures are the result of an internal IDA survey. It is not a Central Statistics Office figure. I have no doubt the Deputy will be delighted to hear of the increase of 661 jobs in those sectors.
When will the information be available?
I have given the Deputy as much information as I possibly could.
Will it be before the next election?
9.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism (a) the number of job losses in industrial employment and (b) the number of jobs created in the industrial sector in (i) 1979 and (ii) to date in 1980, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I take it that the Deputy's question refers to employment in manufacturing industry.
(a) Manufacturing firms are not obliged to notify me of job losses and there are no official statistics available. The only relevant statistics available are those for proposed redundancies in manufacturing industries as notified to the Department of Labour; in 1979 the total was 4,313 and, in the first quarter of 1980, 1,479.
(b) The IDA's 1980 employment survey indicates that 16,200 new first-time jobs were created in IDA grant-assisted projects in 1979. These surveys are carried out on an annual basis and accordingly no information is yet available in respect of 1980. It also shows that in 1979, after taking account of job losses and job gains, there was a net increase in manufacturing employment of 8,730.
Of the 16,000 jobs created how many were jobs on the ground?
They are all jobs on the ground, not job approvals. Job approvals amounted to about 35,000 and the net gain was 8,730.
10.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism the number of job losses in the industrial sector in each of the months January, February, and March in the years 1979 and 1980.
Employers are not obliged to notify me of job losses. The only available relevant statistics for the periods referred to by the Deputy relate to the number of proposed redundancies in the manufacturing sector notified to the Department of Labour as qualified under the Redundancy Payments Acts.
In the first quarters of 1979 and 1980 these totalled 1,000 and 1,479 respectively. Monthly figures on proposed redundancies first became available in January 1980 and the figures for January, February and March were 419, 431 and 629 respectively.
Is the Minister concerned at all about the upward trend in the monthly figures at a time when it should be the reverse?
I am not concerned just about this particular quarter—I am concerned at any time of the year when there are job losses. One of our major tasks is job maintenance as distinct from job creation.
Is the Minister aware that the CII place the blame for the difficulties which industry is facing squarely on the Government?
Mr. Burke
I am not so aware.
In that case the Minister has not been doing his homework.
11.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism the number of jobs created by exploitation of our natural resources since 5 July 1977 and if he will make a statement on the matter.
A number of Ministers have responsibility in regard to the exploitation of our natural resources. In this area, my responsibility is confined to the promotion of manufacturing industry using native raw materials.
The development of industries based on exploitation of our natural resources is a fundamental part of overall industrial strategy and both the IDA and SFADCo., in the exercise of their promotional powers, encourage the maximum use of native raw materials. While the IDA's annual reports give a broad sectoral breakdown of jobs approved, it is not possible to provide more precise information on the number of jobs created by exploitation of our natural resources, as many firms across a wide range of sectoral activity will use both native and imported, raw and semi-processed, materials to some degree and in varying proportions.
Furthermore, our natural resources are so varied and diverse, deriving from the land and its sub-strata, from the sea and from the air, that statistics on the basis outlined in the question would be impossible to maintain.
Put that to music.
Is the Minister aware that in the manifesto of 1977 there was a specific undertaking concerning the creation of jobs in this area? Is the Minister now saying that he does not know how many jobs are being created by the exploitation of natural resources or that he cannot or is not prepared to give us this information? Has his Department any idea of the number of jobs created from this resource?
The reply I gave refers to manufacturing industry which is our particular responsibility in the Department. A number of other Ministries have responsibility for the exploitation of natural resources, for example, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Energy. The statistics involved go across the whole spectrum of manufacturing industry. There is a long list of job approvals in various sectors for 1977, 1978 and 1979. I can give it to the Deputy by way of letter if he so requires. In the IDA five-year plan for the development of industry and for job targets they have a specific area where industries using natural resources as raw material are referred to. They are above target at present and aim to provide 5,000 new jobs in manufacturing industry over the next ten years and refer to the fact that about 1,800 new jobs could be created in timber harvesting and processing by 1985. The ratio in manufacturing industry to service industry is about 1.1 : 1.4 so that for every job in manufacturing there is about one or one-and-a-half jobs in service.
I did not ask the Minister for targets but for jobs created by the Government since 1977 as outlined in the Fianna Fáil manifesto.
As I have already said we are above target within the plans of the IDA.
The Ministers has given no indication that we are above target. He told me that the list was so long he would have to give it to me by letter——
This is argument.
I am asking the Minister for the number of jobs created by the Government since 1977. That information has not been forthcoming. Would the Minister please tell the House what number of jobs have been created in that area?
Deputy O'Donoghue's and five Ministers of State.
The IDA and SFADCo are committed to the promotion of industries using native raw materials
What about Fianna Fáil?
For example, they deal with beef, timber, dairying, fish, zinc, oil and gas industries. There are no statistics available on job creation in this area. Such statistics as are available are broken down on a broad sectoral basis, for example, food, wood and furniture, clothing and footwear and so on. It is not possible to distinguish further between firms using all or some degree of native raw materials and those using imported or semi-processed materials. In the wood and furniture area the same firm will often use some native and some imported timber. As I said there is a long list of figures I can give the Deputy. If he wants them now I will give them to him or if he prefers I shall send them to him.
I am seeking information on the specific job creation programme as undertaken in the Fianna Fáil manifesto. The Minister is not prepared to give me the information.
Would the Minister not agree that in view of the statement in the document that Deputy O'Toole has referred to there were tens of thousands of jobs only waiting to be created, specifically in the field of processing of zinc and other raw materials native to this country? The Minister's reply is petty and on the defensive. He has trotted out at machine gun speed a lot of flowery flummery from the IDA.
Thirty thousand fewer people unemployed at the end of 1978.
(Interruptions)
Tens of thousands of jobs only waiting to be created. Where is the zinc? Where is the smelter the Coalition were hauled over the coals for not producing?
There are 30,000 fewer unemployed.
The target was 55,000.
There were 160,000 unemployed.
The Deputy had better wait until Thursday.
We understated the figures but they are now being overstated——
The Minister was a teacher and he should go back and learn simple arithmetic.
(Interruptions.)
Regarding the section in the Fianna Fáil manifesto in relation to natural resources, would the Minister indicate, to clarify the non-answer which has emerged on the floor of the House and which is in the Official Report, whether he regards the reference in the manifesto as including all the categories of employment to which his reply has addressed itself or do the words "natural resources" confine themselves to offshore oil and gas and minerals such as zinc?
We cannot confine it to offshore oil or gas. Grass is one of our resources.
The Minister has forgotten about hot air.
(Interruptions.)
Is the Deputy suggesting that our beef industry which depends on good grass——
(Interruptions.)
Would the Minister agree that that section of the manifesto is totally meaningless? It applies to every category including grass.
As I said they refer to such matters as beef, timber, dairying, zinc, oil, gas and so on. All factors are taken into account——
Grass is a great resource.
It is a marvellous one.
The Minister should go out to grass.
I wish to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.