asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism the total number of unemployed at (a) December 1979 and (b) the latest available date; and the action the Government intend to take to reduce the number of unemployed and provide employment.
24.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Figures.
23.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism the specific measures taken since 1 January 1980 to arrest the decline in employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 24 together.
It is a primary objective of the Government's industrial development programme to secure the maximum level of new job creation and to maintain existing employment in so far as this is compatible with long-term viability. The intensification of this programme in the current year is reflected in the increase of 23 per cent in the provisions for the IDA and SFADCo in the 1980 Public Capital Programme over 1979. As a result both of these bodies have intensified their promotional efforts and I understand that the national job approvals target for the year will be exceeded. In addition, the IDA expect to create 15,000 first-time grant-aided jobs during the current year.
SFADCo are continuing their intensive small indigenous industry drive in the Mid-West region and more recently in west/south west Offaly. SFADCo have introduced a number of new measures, including the establishment earlier this year of an innovation and micro-electronics applications centre which will help to maintain employment by introducing higher technology to small firms to enable them to develop to their full potential.
Following the success of the SFADCo scheme, a nationwide campaign to encourage the development of small indigenous industries was launched by the IDA earlier this year and is proving very successful.
Assistance provided by the IDA rescue unit in co-operation with the other relevant bodies has contributed to the maintenance or creation of more than 2,000 jobs in the first nine months of the year.
A scheme was introduced in recent months by the Industrial Credit Company Ltd. under which loans at concessionary rates of interest are available to small and medium sized manufacturing firms in respect of their additional working capital requirements. These facilities are in addition to the ICC schemes under which global loans from the European Investment Bank are on-lent at attractive rates of interest to small and medium sized firms for fixed asset investment.
Finally, I would refer the Deputy to the announcement by the Minister for Finance on 31 October 1980 concerning the implementation of additional measures for the purpose of job maintenance and job creation in manufacturing industry, in pursuance of the Government's commitment under the recent national understanding.
Figures published by the Central Statistics Office on 8 December 1980 showed that the numbers on the live register as at end November 1979 and November 1980 were 84,680 and 114,970 respectively.
After all the rosy language, is it not true that there are almost 35,000 more people unemployed this year than 12 months ago? Is the Minister aware that Fianna Fáil's failure in this field is reviving the old spectre of emigration because of the stagnation of the economy? Is he aware that 15 per cent of our industries are on short time, involving 175,000 workers? He can add them to the 115,000 already unemployed and he will get the serious position of almost 300,000 people unemployed. What are the Government doing about it? Is the Minister aware that he spoke about an intensified programme and that the target was being reached? How can he state that a target is being reached when the Fianna Fáil Government promised that unemployment would be down to 80,000 this year and that they are out by over 35,000? Will he not agree that the non-action of the Taoiseach and the Government, who are sitting idly by, is leading to a very serious crisis? Do the Government realise what effect this is having at the present time?
Will the Minister not agree that the increase of approximately 35,000 on the figure of 83,000 for this time last year represents an increase of between 30 per cent and 40 per cent on the original figure? Does he not regard that figure as an absolute scandal?
Deputy O'Toole.
I asked some questions. I will stay on my feet now until they are answered one way or the other. I asked questions and I would like an answer to them.
(Interruptions.)
I will pass to the next question.
If the Minister is so serious about job retention and job creation could he tell the House why ten months ago his Government imposed a 40 per cent increase in the duty on industrial oil thereby costing industry an extra £40 million, which made them less competitive in the European market and the world market? Could the Minister give me a reason for that if he is so serious about job creation and job retention? The increase has been from 5p to 7p per gallon.
With regard to the first question it is quite obvious that the Government have taken action.
(Interruptions.)
The Deputies have only to look across the water and see what is happening to our neighbours where the rate of unemployment is higher.
A final supplementary from Deputy O'Keeffe. This finishes it.
We are doing more for the economy than Deputy L'Estrange ever did. He never made any contribution.
I make more of a contribution to Irish society than the Minister. He is the Minister for foggy weather.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy O'Keeffe.
I will answer the charge made by the Minister of State. I sold one farm at the end of a boreen, I bought another, I have more cattle on it, more silage and more hay than the man on the far side.
The Deputy's farm does not enter into it. Deputy O'Keeffe.
Anything I sold, my people paid for it with their own money. They did not rob banks to buy farms as many of the people on the far side of the House did. The Minister of State should go home and examine his own conscience about that. Nobody belonging to me ever robbed a bank. Anything we got we got it honestly and we got it fairly. Nobody in Fianna Fáil or any Government had to give us anything. I can stand on my own two feet at any time.
Deputy O'Keeffe.
On a point of order——
I have called Deputy O'Keeffe.
I feel the Minister should withdraw the scurrilous comments he made against my colleague.
I do not mind him. I can stand up here and tell the House that anything I have I got it on my own.
(Interruptions.)
On a point of order, Deputy L'Estrange asked a legitimate question and he got an insulting remark from the Minister which everybody here heard.
Will the Deputy please resume his seat. I did not hear anything until I heard Deputy L'Estrange replying.
We heard it.
(Interruptions.)
The Minister of State has succeeded in going below his own level.
We should reduce the temperature at this stage. I note that the Minister refuses to withdraw his scurrilous remarks. Perhaps the Minister would direct his attention to the problem of unemployment which we were trying to deal with before he made those scurrilous remarks. Have the Government any positive plans to deal with this very serious problem and if so to outline them to the House?
There is an increase of 42 per cent.
I read out a lot of positive plans. The Deputy can surely see that, the way the IDA are working. He knows the world situation as well as I do. He knows that we have a rising young population in the country, that 50 per cent of our people are under 25 years of age and there are one million people under 16 years of age.
(Interruptions.)