Vol. 495 No. 7
68 Mr. Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will make a statement on the growing unemployment in County Tipperary particularly among women in view of the fact that it is almost a year since she appointed a jobs task force for Clonmel following the closure of the Seagate plant. [21153/98]
Unemployment is measured by the new quarterly national household survey which replaced the annual labour force survey. Unemployment figures from the new survey, relating to December 1997-February 1998 and March 1998-May 1998, quarters will not be available until the end of November 1998. However, figures for County Tipperary, as recorded by the CSO live register area analysis for September 1998, are available. While the live register is not designed to measure unemployment, figures for County Tipperary show an overall decrease of 2.6 per cent in numbers on the register in the year to September 1998. The register shows a decrease of 10.9 per cent in the number of males and an increase of 12.1 per cent in the number of females.
I have already taken steps to address the unemployment issues in Tipperary. The Clonmel task force was established in December 1997, with its principal focus being to try to find a replacement industry following the closure of Seagate.
On 6 July 1998, I announced Guidant Corporation's intention to establish a medical device project in the former Seagate building which will create 518 new jobs at full production. Over 150 of these jobs are expected to be created within the next year.
South County Tipperary has suffered in the past two years with the closure of two other overseas companies — Tambrands in Tipperary town and Schiesser in Carrick-on-Suir. However, with the efforts of the agencies, overseas replacement industries were found for both Tipperary town and Carrick-on-Suir.
Earlier in the year, Clonmel Healthcare announced a 200 job expansion to its already existing 184 workforce. .
A 20,000 sq. ft. advance factory is being constructed on the IDA Ireland site in Cashel and is near completion.
A number of enterprise centres have/are being established in the county. Enterprise Ireland grant assisted an enterprise centre in Carrick-on-Suir last year and approved a feasibility study grant for a community group located in a 5,000 sq. ft. building which was donated by Tambrands to the town of Tipperary. Enterprise Ireland recently approved £100,000 grant assistance towards a new enterprise centre in Clonmel.
This centre comprises seven units of 1,000 sq. ft. each, three of which are under negotiation for a project to employ 30 people, mainly female.
South Tipperary County Enterprise Board has assisted 12 former employees of Seagate starting their own businesses and a further 12 employees have found employment in or are promoting projects for which the board has provided direct financial assistance.
Last June, Shannon Development launched its enterprise development strategy 1998-2000 document which contains future plans for North Tipperary. Of particular note is the refurbishment of a 37,000 sq. ft. industrial unit at Stradovoher Industrial Estate. This unit is being promoted to overseas companies by IDA Ireland.
Shannon Development has established a joint working group with the Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute, TRBDI, which will enable it to work out strategies and action programmes for initiating a range of development activities, both within the immediate Thurles campus site and in the wider north Tipperary area.
