asked the Taoiseach if he will state the Government's proposals for dealing with the increasing number of persons who are registered as unemployed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Registered Unemployed.
I have already replied to a number of Dáil questions on the subject of unemployment since last March. The latest of these previous questions was addressed to me on the 23rd October, little more than a month ago, and, in my reply on that occasion, I again indicated the Government's general position in regard to the problem and, in addition, outlined the measures taken towards improving the economic situation and promoting increased opportunities of productive employment.
There is in progress in the House today a debate on the economic position, in the course of which the subject of unemployment will no doubt be dealt with from various points of view. The Government's position in the matter will be dealt with in speeches by Ministers, and I myself hope to speak this afternoon. I think that this is the best way of bringing to light the complexity of the problem and any proposals or suggestions for dealing with it—far better than the method of putting down questions at short intervals, in disregard of the long—term nature of the problem and of the fact that, as experience under successive administrations has fully shown, it does not lend itself to solution by ready—made short—term devices.
Having regard to the fact that since the Government last announced its proposals, incoherent though they were, the number of unemployed has since risen substantially and in view of the latter fact will the Parliamentary Secretary, or the Taoiseach, now indicate if they are satisfied with the adequacy of the proposals which are clearly giving such disappointing results?
Compared with last year the unemployment figures are going down.
Will the Taoiseach look at the figures for 1955 and he will see that the numbers are up by 30,000 on the 1955 figure?
It is not on the 1955 figure that we have to work.
What about the "get cracking" policy?
We are getting results slowly but surely.
asked the Taoiseach if he will state the number of persons registered as unemployed on the last Saturday, or nearest convenient date, in November, at each of the following employment exchanges: Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, and Galway.
The numbers of persons on the Live Register on the last Saturday in November (30 November, 1957) at each of the following employment exchanges were: Dublin, 15,603; Dún Laoghaire, 1,179; Cork, 3,381; Limerick, 2,427; Waterford, 1,138; Galway, 2,351.
asked the Taoiseach if he will state the approximate number of persons, with addresses in the Dublin County constituency area, who were registered as unemployed on the most recent date for which figures are available, and the number of such persons resident in the areas of Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Donabate, Swords, Malahide, Portmarnock, Baldoyle, Howth, Sutton, Coolock, Artane, Finglas, Ballyfermot, Walkinstown, Tallaght, Lucan, Blanchardstown, Palmerstown, Castleknock, St. Margarets, Garristown, Oldtown, and Ballyboughal.
The most up-to-date information available in regard to the residence of persons on the Live Register at the Local Offices of the Department of Social Welfare is the monthly analysis for 23rd November, 1957, of the persons registered at each Local Office, distinguishing the county borough, borough, urban district, town under the Town Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854, or the remainder of each county council area in which they reside. For the Dublin County area (excluding the Borough of Dún Laoghaire) at the date in question the number of registrants who lived in the Town of Balbriggan was 73 and the number who lived in the rest of the county area was 1,084 of whom 712 were registered at the Local Offices in Dublin County Borough, 200 at Dún Laoghaire, 134 at Balbriggan, 2 at Blessington and 36 at Bray.
It is not possible to segregate those persons who lived in the area of the Dublin County Dáil constituency and in fact a number of the places mentioned by the Deputy in the question are actually wholly or partly within the Dublin County Borough area.