asked the Taoiseach the total number of insured workers; and (a) the number and (b) the percentage of these who are unemployed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Insured Workers.
2.
The total number of currently insured persons, derived from the number of social insurance cards exchanged, was estimated at 665,989 in the latest insurance year. The total number of insured persons on the live register was 48,920 at mid-June, 1969. In using these figures as a measure of unemployment, it is necessary to exclude persons in agriculture, fishing and private domestic service because many of these are only marginally in the employee category and because the numbers recorded are affected by recent changes in the coverage of the live register. The number of insured persons, excluding these categories, was estimated at 563,893 in the latest insurance year and the corresponding live register figure for mid-June, 1969, was 32,043. The percentage unemployed, derived from these figures, was 5.7.
Is it not a fact that 5.7 is the second highest in ten western European countries in relation to unemployment figures and that it is directly due to the failure of the Fianna Fáil Party's policies over the past 12 years?
The figures quoted by the Deputy in reference to other countries are not comparable inasmuch as in other countries they do not include people employed on the land, smallholders, and so on.
Is the Taoiseach proud of these figures?
The Deputy has not been here for the past three or four years, when remarkable progress was recorded.
Deputy Dr. Browne's charge is that Fianna Fáil were in Government for the past 12 years.
Since Deputy Dr. Browne was here last, there has been spectacular progress.
A very large part of the people who are unemployed did not get any benefit from the progress alleged by the Taoiseach.
I cannot understand the import of that question. Therefore, I do not want to answer it.
The import of the question is that there is a very large unemployment problem in this country which——
60,000.
——despite Fianna Fáil rule for 12 successive years has not been solved.
60,000 including smallholders and including no employment periods.
Plus the numbers who are emigrating.