Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 10 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 3

Written Answers. - Job Creation Projections .

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

69 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment whether he has satisfied himself as to the accuracy of the Government's job creation projections for the years 1994 to 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. Quinn)

I refer the Deputy to the reply given by the Taoiseach to Deputy Mary Harney on 22 February last in this connection. As explained by the Taoiseach, the increase of more than 60,000 over the three years 1994-1996 would be in line with our best performance achieved in the recent past.

The bulk of the increase is expected to be in services (45,000) while manufacturing will yield a net extra 15,000 jobs and construction a net extra 10,000 jobs. The total net projected increase of 60,000 allows for a continued contraction in agriculture.

Those increases are attainable if the economic conditions underlying theProgramme for Competitiveness and Work are maintained particularly as regards competitiveness and operating costs including operating costs for the whole economy, public and private, the removal of inefficiencies and rigidities that may threaten the long-run viability of employment; and the capacity of Irish firms and business to innovate and adjust to the most demanding and changing requirements of markets and of customers, at home and abroad.