Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 November 2004
160 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the jobless figures for Tallaght, Dublin 24; the way in which they compare with those of ten years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30569/04]
View answerUnemployment is measured by the CSO's quarterly national household survey, QNHS. However, it is devised on a regional basis and does not provide a breakdown for specific areas such as Tallaght. While the live register provides monthly data for specific areas, including Tallaght, it is not a definitive measure of unemployment as it includes part-time workers, seasonal and casual workers.
It should be noted that the exact area covered by each local office is not limited to the immediate locality of the particular office, for example in the Tallaght local office persons from the Blessington area may be registered.
The live register figures for October 2004 in relation to the Tallaght local office were 3,077 whereas the comparable figures for the area for October 1994 were 6,900.
The current overall unemployment rate, QNHS, for the country for the second quarter of 2004 is 4.4% — 84,200 persons. This compares very favorable to the unemployment rate in 1994 of 15% — 209,600 persons. The pattern in the Tallaght area reflects national trends over this period. The prediction for the medium term is that the numbers in employment will continue to grow.
