Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 3

Written Answers - Job Losses.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

82 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total number of job losses arising from closures of major firms throughout the country in each of the past 12 months; the degree to which she has analysed the underlying cause or reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12685/01]

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

Proposed redundancies notified to my Department for each of the past 12 months were as follows:

2000	April	1,068	September	925	2001	January	1,427
May	944	October	938	February	1,043
June	920	November	1,341	March	1,500
July	1,171	December	892
August	757

This amounts to a total of 12,926 notified redundancies for the 12 month period ended March 2001, including 1,360 redundancies in respect of 12 major company closures.

Job losses reflect the gradual reorientation of industry towards higher valued added activities and restructuring of indigenous and foreign owned industry in response to intense competition on the domestic and export markets.