Dinny McGinley
Ceist:83 Mr. McGinley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the level of unemployment in County Donegal at present; and the action she will take to redress this situation. [29942/03]
Written Answers. - Unemployment Levels.
Brian O'Shea
Ceist:124 Mr. O'Shea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to figures produced by IBEC showing that job losses in counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal are rising by 60% each year; the steps being taken to combat job losses in rural Ireland generally and specifically in these areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28551/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 124 together.
I am aware of recent IBEC data on the level of redundancies in the north-west region of counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. The total number of redundancies notified to my Department for these counties for the first 11 months of 2003 was 1,406 compared with a figure of 644 for the year 2002. Statistics on unemployment are measured by the quarterly national household survey but this is devised on a regional basis. However, live register figures are available on a county basis but the live register is not a definitive measure of unemployment as it includes part-time workers, seasonal and casual workers. The figure for County Donegal was 9,975 in October 2003 compared with 9,355 for October 2002.
On 19 November last, I met with an IBEC north-west delegation to discuss employment in the area. This followed on a meeting I had with a delegation from the Donegal county development board on 16 October 2003. The key to enhancing employment in the north-west is the development of infrastructure in the area, in particular, roads, water, electricity and gas, air access and broadband communications. Recent developments include the provision of funding for the Letterkenny water supply scheme and the approval of a feasibility study grant for the extension of the natural gas pipeline from Derry to Letterkenny.
IDA Ireland has located responsibility for the national development and promotion of the engineering and consumer sectors in Sligo together with a unit of international services. This is in line with a new regional focus where key operational responsibilities are being placed in the regions. Enterprise Ireland is working closely with indigenous companies in the north-west region to improve competitiveness and to enable them to grow. The county enterprise boards have also been active in promoting and supporting micro-enterprises in the north-west. In the Gaeltacht area of the north-west, Údaras na Gaeltachta is pursuing a number of initiatives to address the jobs situation including targeting new sectors of the economy, upgrading building and telecommunications infrastructure and placing greater emphasis on high skills.
The Government, along with the State development agencies, is committed to ensuring balanced regional development, particularly through the implementation of the national spatial strategy and the recently announced decentralisation programme which should also facilitate economic development in the north-west region.