Bertie Ahern
Question:10 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the level of unemployment in Kerry on 31 December 1994, 30 April 1995 and 30 April 1996. [10843/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment in Kerry.
Estimates of unemployment for individual counties are not available from the Labour Force Survey. The number of persons signing on the live register at local employment offices in County Kerry was 9.337 in December 1994; 8,751 in April 1995; and 9,456 in April 1996.
I know I cannot raise the matter but let me put on record that statistics show unemployment in Kerry is rising yet again.
Despite the Tánaiste.
The figures are quite stable. We are tackling the problem of unemployment in Kerry which we inherited and considerable work is being done under Leader II by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Deenihan.
Leader II is Deputy Dick Spring.
Under the aegis of Leader II we are tackling rural tourism, small enterprises, crafts, local services, marketing and the processing of local produce and small-scale environmental works. One of the more successful innovations of recent times is the county enterprise boards. The activities of the Kerry County Enterprise Board have been extremely successful. From their establishment in late 1993 to the end of 1995, Kerry County Enterprise Board approved 196 projects worth £1.5 million in grants, of which £650,000 was drawn down by the end of last year.
Is this a statistical question?
These are all valid statistics. These projects alone are expected to lead to the creation of 277 full-time and 121 part-time jobs, of which 120 full-time and 64 part-time had been created by the end of 1995.
If we couple that with the achievements of other agencies such as Forbairt, FÁS and the IDA, the general outlook for County Kerry is extremely good.
Unemployment is going up.
I indicate to the House when there is a statistical question before us on the Order Paper and that it should not give rise to comment in regard to policy. That statement applies to both sides of the House.
I accept that, Sir.
In equity and justice these things must be watched.
I am sure all that has been said in the reply is 100 per cent true, but even though far more has been put into this constituency than into other counties, why has unemployment there increased dramatically in the past 12 months?
Rather than indicating a dramatic increase in unemployment, the statistics for the month of April of the past three years show a uniformity. In January of this year the figure was 10,316, in February it was 10,120 and in March it was 9,707 and in April it was 9,456. The graph shows that the trend is downwards.