andMr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Labour the total number of persons registered as unemployed at the latest available date; and the steps the Government propose to take to reduce that number substantially.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Statistics.
29.
The number of persons on the live register at local employment offices on 13th February, 1976, was 118,427 of whom 3,770 were on systematic short-time. I should add that the seasonally corrected unemployment figure for the end of January —this is the latest date for which we have such a figure—was below the seasonally corrected figure for October, 1975.
As regards steps to reduce unemployment, budgetary policy has consistently aimed at maintaining a high level of employment. The 1976 public capital programme has been settled at £596 million and this will promote economic growth and sustainable employment.
The main agency dealing with job creation is, of course, the IDA. Deputies will be aware of the incentives provided by the authority to aid industrial expansion.
Despite the present economic difficulties, additional funds have been made available to the Industrial Training Authority. In 1976 it is hoped to train 9,000 people. The premium employment programme has helped to return more than 4,000 people to full-time employment. Efforts are continuing to encourage a greater utilisation of the scheme by employers.
Because of the open nature of our economy, the speed at which we can increase employment is, of course, dependent to a very large extent on what happens in the economies of our major trading partners.
Does the Minister agree that the steps taken by the Government to reduce the number of unemployed were totally inadequate and to date have had no impact whatsoever on the unemployment situation and would he further agree that the budgetary policy to which he referred is much more likely to increase unemployment rather than reduce it?
I am afraid Deputy Faulkner's crystal ball is as usual, a little bit clouded. There is no question whatever of unemployment being increased as a result of budgetary policy and Deputy Faulkner must be aware of that. Secondly, the steps that are being taken are bound to reduce unemployment and the Deputy, I have no doubt, will be prepared to admit that in a reasonably short time.
We had a similar forecast which did not turn out to be correct from the Minister for Foreign Affairs during the budget debate. Further, will the Minister not agree that providing a substantial increase in finance in real terms for the building and construction industry would go a long way towards reducing the number of unemployed?
I think Deputy Faulkner has a phobia about the financing of the building industry. The position is that there has been a tremendous increase in real terms in the amount of money available for housing and I thought I made that clear the other night at the end of the Adjournment Debate. The money is there, more money than Fianna Fáil ever thought could be provided, and that money is providing employment and Deputy Faulkner's repetition of the number of people unemployed in the building industry is obviously an effort to create the impression that there was nobody unemployed in that industry when Fianna Fáil were in office. Of course, anybody who knows the facts knows that is untrue.
The Minister must be aware there were many more people employed in the building industry when Fianna Fáil were in office.
A brief supplementary question, please.
The Minister stated that budgetary policy would reduce the number of unemployed and, having said that, he evidently assumed that would automatically be the case.
The Deputy is embarking on argument rather than putting a question.
Budgetary policy will, in fact, increase the number of unemployed.
It would appear Deputy Faulkner would have this Government decide on building hotels, which is what the Fianna Fáil Government did. Instead of that we are building houses, twice as many houses as Fianna Fáil thought necessary in 1975. We built almost 26,000 last year and over 26,000 the year before. The record of Fianna Fáil is there to be checked on. They set their target at 13,000 or 14,000.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
Deputy O'Leary thought Kerry County Council were down £1 million. It is £1 million they want for their houses this year.
May I ask the Minister——
Sorry, Deputy. I am calling the next question, Question No. 30.
I asked the Minister what the Government propose to do to reduce unemployment and I got no answer to that question.
This may be debated on another occasion. Question No. 30.