Vol. 438 No. 2
6 Ms McManus asked the Taoiseach if, in view of the inadequacy of the collection of statistical information in relation to unemployment, he will ensure that information on unemployment is collected in future not on a labour exchange basis only but that a further breakdown on the basis of the population centre will also be provided to give accurate indications of the real levels of unemployment.
The range of statistics available on labour market issues generally and on unemployment, in particular, is comprehensive and compares favourably with the position in many other developed countries.
An analysis of the live register of the type described by the Deputy — that is on the basis of area of residence — was carried out on a quarterly basis up to 1988. Following a general review of the live register statistics, this analysis was replaced from January 1989 by a monthly analysis based on area of registration.
This area of registration analysis gives the total of registrants for each local employment office and also gives the totals for each county. It has many other advantages by comparison with the former analysis. For example, it is linked to the end-of-month count of the live register; it has a monthly rather than a quarterly frequency; details for each of the 129 local employment offices are published within 14 working days of the reference date; and separate details on registrants under and over 25 years of age at each local office are published.
The current monthly area analysis of the live register is more frequent, timely and comprehensive than the area of residence analysis compiled up to 1988. A copy of the results for 31 December 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, is in the Dáil Library.
The regional information requirements for policy purposes are well served by the existing analyses of the live register and I do not intend to request the CSO and the Department of Social Welfare to produce a further breakdown on the basis of population centre.
I thank the Minister of State for giving us a little potted history on the collation of statistical information, but I do not believe he understood my question. I am seeking additional information over and above that already available. Will he agree that, from a Government point of view, there is a different approach now to local community initiatives? In that context, will he agree there is a considerable need, regardless of what people do in other countries, for people at local level to arm themselves with accurate information to ensure that local community initiatives and the locally based bottom-up approaches frequently referred to are effective? I am disappointed the Minister of State is closing his mind to the widening of information to ensure that such local groups have proper and accurate information on which they can build their programmes. From the point of view of Government policy, will he reconsider his position in regard to developing programmes at local level? We cannot have the programmes without the information.
I am sure that is adequate, Deputy.
We are dealing with this from two different points of view. The Deputy appears to believe that the information which is available at present is inaccurate.
Inadequate.
The Deputy used the word "inaccurate" a few times. The information is accurate, but I have no problem examining the figures and statistics on the basis outlined by the Deputy. However, she must appreciate that local community groups can extract the information they require for local community initiatives. To put additional responsibility on those who compile the statistics, for example, officials in the CSO and the Department of Social Welfare, might hinder their work and the necessary compilation and publication of statistics within a reasonable period at the end of each month. I do not have a closed mind in this regard, but what the Deputy requests would not assist local community groups.
I want to put the record straight. I am talking about inadequate information which gives an inaccurate picture. In the town of Bray, a local community initiative was established and the first problem it faced was the fact that there was no published information on unemployment specifically for the town of Bray. Information in regard to the labour exchange is available, but that will not assist a local community initiative trying to combat unemployment in the town. Will the Minister examine this problem? I do not expect him to say he has changed his mind. Nevertheless, in view of the different approach now to community initiatives we must have adequate as well as accurate information on which to build initiatives.
I am prepared to consider the matter, but I will outline the other side of the coin to the Deputy. The Deputy referred to Bray. How does one define the town of Bary? Part of our problem in compiling statistics up to 1988 involved the definition of the boundary of the town of Bray and the areas which are legally inside or outside the town. There are ways and means of extracting information from the current statistics without defining town boundaries. There is a difficulty in regard to all town boundaries at present, but I am sure the Minister for the Environment will resolve that difficulty. For staff to define exact addresses and decide whether a person lives inside or outside a particular area would involve a great deal of unnecessary bureaucracy.
I call Deputy Richard Bruton.
The Minister asked me a question which I would like to answer.
I allowed the Deputy some discretion, I have called Deputy Bruton and he shall be heard.
Will the Minister agree that the kernel of the lack of information is a mistaken view by Government about the unemployed? Should the Minister not regard the unemployed as a resource to their local community and request the CSO to collect information on their skills, interests and training so that they could be available as a resources as suggested by Deputy McManus? Will the Minister agree that if the information was available it would be much easier to devise programmes suitable to the resource of those who are at present out of work?
I agree with the Deputy. I regard the unemployed and their skills as a very valuable resources, but requesting officials from the CSO or the Department of Social Welfare to collect that type of information is not necessarily the way to proceed. As Deputy McManus stated, local groups would be in a much better position to get those statistics and the details about available skills. The CSO through the Department of Social Welfare should not be involved in that type of work although such information is very useful. There are limits to the amount of resources available to the CSO. I will consider this matter, but I will not allow scarce resources in the CSO to be diverted to tasks which will take from the credibility of the statistics they produce at present in that area.
The information is available, it is just not published. That is the difficulty facing community groups. Information on people's skills is not available through FAS nor is information on the numbers unemployed available through the labour exchange.
In regard to the town of Bray, that town is not part of Shankill nor part of Greystones in County Wicklow.
The Deputy is making a statement.
On that definition it should be very easy to find out the exact town boundaries.
This is Question Time. We now come to priority questions to the Minister for Social Welfare. We should not forget the time limit of 20 minutes which applies for these questions.
