Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Nov 1997

Vol. 483 No. 4

Written Answers. - Unemployment Levels.

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available categorised by postal district. However, it is available by the relevant Social Welfare local office and I propose to circulate a table with this information with an indication of the postal district or districts served by each office.

All of the local offices within the Dublin area have shown a reduction in the number of people signing on the live register in the year to October 1997. The largest absolute decrease was in respect of the areas served by the Cumberland Street local office where the figures dropped from 10,113 in October 1996 to 8,865 in October 1997 — a decrease of 1,248, 12 per cent. The largest percentage decrease was in the areas served by Victoria Street Local Office where the figures dropped from 3,631 to 2,821 — a decrease of 1,248 or 22 per cent.

The live register figure for the Dublin region generally decreased by over 10,000 in the past year — from 84,493 in October 1996 to 74,179 in October 1997 — a decrease of 12 per cent. The percentage decrease in the Dublin area is higher than the national decrease of 9 per cent for the same period. The total number of people on the live register at the end of October 1996 was 267,586, and this dropped to 243,961 at the end of October 1997.

The fall in the live register is due to the record level of job creation, the take-up of targeted schemes such as the back-to-work allowance scheme designed to facilitate the re-entry of the unemployed onto the workforce and measures introduced by my Department to ensure that only those entitled to receive payments get them.

Local Office	Number of Recipients (October 1997)	Catchment Area
Gardiner Street	5,301	Dublin 17
		Dublin 5 — Artane (parts of), Coolock, Donnycarney, Killester
		Dublin 9 (unless listed under Ballymun)
Werburgh Street	5,925	Dublin 6W
		Dublin 12
Victoria Street	2,821	Dublin 6
Cumberland Street	8,865	Dublin 1
		Dublin 3
		Dublin North County (except Balbriggan), including Swords, Malahide, Portmarnock, Donabate, Lucan
Navan Road	8,413	Dublin 7
		Dublin 15
Thomas Street	4,935	Dublin 8
Tara Street	3,096	Dublin 2
		Dublin 4
Tallaght	6,174	Dublin 24
		Brittas, County Dublin
Ballymun	2,154	Dublin 9 — Oldtown, Shanard, Shanliss, Shanowen, Santry
		Dublin 11
Clondalkin	4,043	Dublin 22
		Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart
Rathfarnham	3,709	Dublin 14
		Dublin 16
Kilbarrack	4,029	Dublin 13
		Dublin 5 (unless listed under Gardiner Street), including parts of Harmonstown and Artane
Dún Laoghaire	5,952	Dublin 18
		Dublin South County
Balbriggan	1,713	Balbriggan
Ballyfermot	3,239	Dublin 10
		Dublin 20
Finglas	3,810	Dublin 11 (except Ballymun), including Ashbourne, Ratoath, The Ward
Total	74,179