asked the Taoiseach the number of unemployed persons registered at each of the employment exchanges in Dublin city.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Unemployed.
1.
The numbers on the live register at each local office in Dublin city on 25th February, 1977, were as follows:
|
Gardiner Street |
12,355 |
|
North Cumberland Street |
5,924 |
|
Werburgh Street |
11,625 |
|
Victoria Street |
3,714 |
In the original question I asked for the number of persons registered at each employment exchange in Dublin city and also the number registered in Ballyfermot. Could the Parliamentary Secretary indicate how many people are unemployed in area No. 10 of Dublin?
I have no information on that.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there are over 1,700 persons, not including school-leavers, unemployed in Ballyfermot, and that the organisations operating in Ballyfermot are anxious that information would be made available to them from Government sources? Is he further aware that I obtained information here in the House from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare some time ago about the number unemployed? How can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance indicate now that he has not got that information? Is it that the Government do not want to produce the appalling figures to the House and to the people?
If the Deputy has the answers, why does he ask the questions?
I have nothing further to add to the reply.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary make some effort to obtain the up-to-date information requested by Deputies about the number of persons unemployed in Ballyfermot, in view of the appallingly high figure in that area and the problem that there are several thousand school-leavers unemployed and that several more thousand of them will become unemployed in the coming months?
I am seeking to facilitate the Deputy to elicit genuine information, but he may not make a speech.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance now state that he will obtain this information for me to convey to the people in Ballyfermot who are interested in doing something to alleviate the vast amount of distress in that area at the moment? The information is necessary to these people who are carrying out surveys in the area.
We must have some finality on this.
The finality will come when we get an indication of the number of people unemployed so that the results of surveys that are being carried out with a view to providing employment for people will be made available. Can we get that information from the Parliamentary Secretary?
The Deputy asked a specific question and got a reply to it. I have nothing further to add.
I want the same type of up-to-date information now that I got some time ago from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare. Surely it is in order for a Member of the House to obtain information in relation to his constituency. The Government do not want the people to know the appalling unemployment figures.
Questions Nos. 2 and 3 postponed.