Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Dec 2003

Vol. 577 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

316 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons in County Roscommon who have been in receipt of unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit in each of the past seven years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31682/03]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

Data of the type requested by the Deputy is not collated by my Department at county level as the boundaries of local offices are not co-terminus with county boundaries. There are three local offices in County Roscommon – Boyle, Castlerea and Roscommon. The following data are based on the number of people in receipt of unemployment benefit and assistance at these offices during the period in question.

The numbers of persons at local and branch social welfare offices in County Roscommon in receipt of both unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit in the past seven years is as follows:

Date	UnemploymentBenefit	UnemploymentAssistance
November 1997	680	11.86
November 1998	624	998
November 1999	659	906
November 2000	599	725
November 2001	547	680
November 2002	587	687
November 2003	574	633

The figures indicate that the total number of people in receipt of an unemployment payment has declined from 1,866 to 1,207 or decreased by 26% during the period.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefit has fallen by 106, almost 16%, in the period. The number in receipt of unemployment assistance has fallen by 720 people, a decrease of almost 47%. Of the people in receipt of these payments on the live register 713 or 59% have been registered for less than six months.