Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 7

Written Answers - Unemployment Levels.

Seán Ryan

Question:

41 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the fact that the majority of the 16 Dublin employment exchanges still show high figures of people signing on the live register. [26102/98]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

I would share the concern of the Deputy if the number of persons in Dublin signing on was growing or even static. Happily that is not the case. There have been continuing substantial falls in the live register in recent months. The monthly fall of 11,230 in September 1998, was the largest monthly fall on record. The annual fall in the live register, to October 1998, of 31,502, is the largest on record. We have now reached a stage where the live register is at its lowest level in 14 years. In the Dublin area, covered by 16 local offices, there has been a fall year on year to end October of about 25 per cent with a fall recorded in each local office.

I would also refer the Deputy to the CSO's Quarterly National Household Survey, published 30 November 1998, which showed the unemployment rate to have fallen to 7.8 per cent and the long-term unemployment rate to have fallen to 3.8 per cent. I assure the Deputy that despite these very positive figures the Government is not at all complacent about the need to prevent long-term employment and to deal with its consequences, as witnessed by the pro-employment thrust of the budget.