asked the Minister for Energy if plans for the route of the proposed pipe-line to carry gas from the gas-field at Kinsale to Dublin have been finalised; and if such plans make provision for a supply to Dungarvan town and Waterford city.
Written Answers. - Cork — Dublin Gas Pipeline.
212.
Bord Gáis Éireann, at my request, have undertaken a study encompassing the design, routing and costing of a pipeline to supply the Dublin area. I expect to receive the board's report in the near future.
Until I receive this report from the board I will not be in a position to comment on which routes BGE have considered, and the extent to which BGE's plans for the Cork-Dublin project would provide the basis for a supply of gas to other areas.
A range of factors would have to be taken into account in the final selection of the Cork-Dublin pipeline route and the existence of a gas distribution system in towns such as Waterford on or near to a projected route would be one such factor.
213.
asked the Taoiseach the most recent figures for the number of unemployed in Waterford city and county; and how these compare with the figures at the corresponding dates in 1979 and 1980.
214.
asked the Taoiseach the most recent figures for the number of unemployed in (1) the country and (2) the south-east region; and if he will express this as a percentage of the total available workforce at work in (i) the country and (ii) the south-eastern region.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together. The latest information available on the number of persons on the live register relates to 2 January 1981. The number of persons on the live register in Waterford city employment exchange on that date was 2,666. At the corresponding dates in 1979 and 1978 the figures were 1,837 and 1,922 respectively. For the other local employment offices in County Waterford the aggregate live register totals on the same dates were 764, 488 and 478 respectively.
The total number of persons on the live register on 2 January 1981 was 122,220 of which 12,535 related to local employment offices in the south-east planning region.
Data on the percentage unemployed are published on a quarterly basis for different areas and are obtained by taking the ratio of the number of insured persons on the live register to the total insured labour force, excluding the agriculture, fishing and domestic service sectors. The latest data available relate to 10 October when the ratio in question was 11.3 for the State as a whole, and 12.6 for the south-east planning region.
215.
asked the Taoiseach the total number unemployed at the most recent date in the following centres: (a) Dún Laoghaire, (b) Wexford town and (c) Waterford city; and the corresponding figure for each of the past five years.
The following table gives the numbers of persons on the live register at the local employment offices specified by the Deputy on 2 January 1981 (latest date available) with comparable figures for the corresponding dates in the years 1979 to 1975 inclusive:
|
Date |
Dún Laoghaire Local Office |
Wexford Local Office |
Waterford Local Office |
|
2 Jan. 1981 |
2,787 |
1,721 |
2,666 |
|
28 Dec. 1979 |
2,204 |
1,119 |
1,837 |
|
29 Dec. 1978 |
2,289 |
1,300 |
1,922 |
|
30 Dec. 1977 |
2,533 |
1,440 |
1,816 |
|
31 Dec. 1976 |
2,552 |
1,471 |
2,038 |
|
2 Jan. 1976 |
2,514 |
1,405 |
2,083 |