asked the Taoiseach the total number of people at work in the State in (a) 1951 and (b) 1966; and what further action the Government are taking or intend to take since a reply of 17th November 1966 to provide work for Irish people at home.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Opportunities.
3.
The total number of persons at work in the State in 1951 was 1,217,100 and the corresponding figure for 1965 is estimated at 1,050,000. The preliminary estimate for 1966 is not yet available.
As regards the second part of the question, I would refer the Deputy to the replies given by the Ministers for Agriculture and Fisheries, Lands, and Industry and Commerce to similar questions on Thursday last, the 2nd March, 1967. More especially, the provision of increased employment will depend on our success in achieving a higher degree of economic development.
Does the Taoiseach not realise that there are now 70,000 fewer people at work in Ireland than there were in 1951? In view of the fact that the previous Taoiseach promised 100,000 new jobs, and unemployment is now standing at almost 64,000, could the Taoiseach tell us if there is any hope or what policy the Government have to provide work for these unfortunate people at the present time?
There is every hope, and the Government have a solid policy towards increasing the employment content of this country. We are working towards it.
The Taoiseach promised, at a meeting in Drogheda before the general election——
The Deputy might get the quotation before he starts to quote me.
——to provide 83,000 new jobs. Where are those new jobs now.
I never made a promise; I referred to a projection contained in the Programme for Economic Expansion. Those projections were made on certain assumptions which have not worked out. In many cases the assumptions can only be made on the basis of existing circumstances. They are the best possible projections we can make, but we are not prophets and needless to say, these assumptions are not always valid and these projections do not always work out.
Does the Taoiseach not agree that his projections have been very far out and instead of increasing employment they have increased unemployment?
We have improved in relation to the increasing population.
The country is being denuded at the present time.