Vol. 558 No. 6
31 Mr. Stagg asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of redundancies or job losses notified to her Department during 2001; the number of job losses reported to her Department to date; the equivalent figure for the same period in 2001; the steps being taken to deal with the continuing serious level of job losses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24864/02]
The number of redundancies notified to my Department in 2001 was 19,828. In the first 11 months of 2002 a total of 23,556 redundancies were notified. The equivalent figure for the same period in 2001 was 18,399.
The current level of job losses flow, not from any inherent fundamental weakness in the economy, but from the continuing impact here of a combination of circumstances, especially the downturn, over the past two years or so, in the international economic environment, and the effect of the events of 11 September on global trade and investment flows.
While the international economic outlook remains uncertain, some pick-up can be anticipated in 2003 which should lead to a modest acceleration in Irish economic growth in 2003. The Government continues to address the costs and other factors which impact on our competitiveness, so that we will be in a position to reap the benefits of the forecast global economic recovery, when it happens. In the meantime, the industrial development agencies continue to work with client companies, both overseas and indigenous, to maximise the creation of high value jobs in the Irish economy.
