Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Vol. 879 No. 1

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed)

Job Creation Data

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

1. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach to set out the number of net new jobs, per year, created between quarter two, 2011 and quarter two, 2014. [39380/14]

Ruth Coppinger

Ceist:

2. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a detailed report on job creation during 2014 by local authority area and sector. [44356/14]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

3. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach to set out the number of net full-time jobs created between quarter two, 2011 and quarter two, 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46770/14]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

4. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a breakdown on job creation in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2147/15]

Joe Higgins

Ceist:

5. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on job creation in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5470/15]

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

6. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach if he will provide the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, which gave the total number of persons in the labour force in the fourth quarter of 2014 as 2,152,500, representing a decrease of 10,500, that is, -0.5% over 2013 levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12091/15]

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Paul Kehoe)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together.

The following tables contain detailed data on the questions asked. The data are drawn from the quarterly national household survey, the official source of estimates of employment in the State. The data show the overall stock of persons employed at given points in time. Annual changes are calculated using these stock figures and measure the number of extra jobs year-on-year. In general, the number of new jobs created will be larger than this but they are offset in part by the number of jobs lost year-on-year. The QNHS does not record whether a job is newly-created.

Table 1a shows the number of persons employed in quarter two of each year from 2010 to 2014. Table 1b shows the annual change in the number of persons aged 15 years and over in employment. In quarter two of 2011, 1,861,300 persons aged 15 years and over were in employment. This had risen to 1,901,600 in quarter two of 2014.

The exact information requested by the Deputy relating to geographical and sectoral breakdown is not available. Estimates of employment are produced by the EU Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, NUTS, 3 region. Due to methodology and sample size it is not possible to produce reliable local authority area estimates from the QNHS.

Table 2 shows the number of persons aged 15 years and over in employment classified by region and economic sector in quarter two of 2013 and 2014 together with the annual change.

Table 3a shows the number of persons aged 15 years and over in employment, classified by full-time or part-time employment, in quarter two of each year from 2010 to 2014. Table 3b shows the annual change in the number of persons aged 15 years and over in full-time and part-time employment.

In quarter two of 2011, of the 1,861,300 persons aged 15 and over in employment some 1,423,800 were in full-time employment with 437,500 in part-time employment. In quarter two of 2014, full-time employment had increased to 1,451,300 and part-time employment had increased to 450,300.

The latest figures available from the QNHS are for quarter four of 2014. Table 4 shows the number of persons employed in each economic sector in quarter four of 2013 and quarter four of 2014, together with the annual change.

Table 5 shows the number of persons aged 15 years and over in the labour force, classified by economic status, in quarter four of 2013 and quarter four of 2014, as defined by the International Labour Organization. It also shows the annual change in the number of persons aged 15 years and over classified by economic status in quarter four of 2013 and quarter four of 2014. In quarter four of 2014 the labour force comprised 2,152,500 persons, an increase of 10,500 on the year. The quarterly data for quarter one of 2015 are due for publication by the CSO this Thursday, 21 May at 11.00 a.m.

Table 1a Persons aged 15 years and over in employment (ILO) Q2 2010 - Q2 2014

'000

	Q2 10	Q2 11	Q2 12	Q2 13	Q2 14
In employment	1893.6	1,861.3	1,836.2	1,869.9	1,901.6

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.

Table 1b Persons aged 15 years and over in employment (ILO) Q2 2011 - Q2 2014 - Annual Change

'000

	Q2 11	Q2 12	Q2 13	Q2 14
In employment	-32.4	-25.1	33.8	31.6

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.

Table 2 Persons aged 15 years and over in employment (ILO) classified by NUTS 3 regions and NACE Rev.2 Economic Sector, Q2 2013 and Q2 2014

'000

	Q2 13	Q2 14	Annual Change
Border
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	17.4	17.2	-0.2
B-F Total Industry	35.9	37.2	1.3
B-E Industry	24.6	26.2	1.6
F Construction	11.3	11.0	-0.3
G-U Total Services	129.8	130.7	0.9
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	27.5	27.2	-0.3
H Transportation and storage	8.4	8.2	-0.2
I Accommodation and food service activities	13.6	12.9	-0.7
J Information and Communication	5.1	[3.5]	[-1.6]
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	7.0	5.5	-1.5
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	8.0	7.7	-0.3
N Administrative and support service activities	[3.4]	4.8	[1.4]
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	9.6	9.5	-0.1
P Education	15.3	15.9	0.6
Q Human Health and social work activities	24.0	24.9	0.9
R-U Other NACE activities	7.9	10.6	2.7
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	183.1	185.0	1.9
Midland
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	8.4	10.8	2.4
B-F Total Industry	22.5	25.5	3.0
B-E Industry	15.5	17.2	1.7
F Construction	6.9	8.3	1.4
G-U Total Services	78.9	77.0	-1.9
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	18.2	15.7	-2.5
H Transportation and storage	[4.2]	4.8	[0.6]
I Accommodation and food service activities	6.2	6.2	0.0
J Information and Communication	[2.6]	*	*
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	[3.4]	[3.2]	[-0.2]
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	4.2	6.4	2.2
N Administrative and support service activities	[2.9]	*	*
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	7.4	8.0	0.6
P Education	8.5	8.2	-0.3
Q Human Health and social work activities	16.1	16.0	-0.1
R-U Other NACE activities	5.1	4.6	-0.5
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	109.7	113.5	3.8
West
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	15.4	17.3	1.9
B-F Total Industry	41.2	38.5	-2.7
B-E Industry	30.0	28.1	-1.9
F Construction	11.2	10.4	-0.8
G-U Total Services	127.0	122.3	-4.7
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	25.1	25.8	0.7
H Transportation and storage	6.4	4.9	-1.5
I Accommodation and food service activities	12.2	12.5	0.3
J Information and Communication	6.7	5.8	-0.9
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	5.6	4.5	-1.1
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	7.4	9.7	2.3
N Administrative and support service activities	6.0	5.7	-0.3
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	8.5	9.2	0.7
P Education	15.8	14.1	-1.7
Q Human Health and social work activities	24.4	21.8	-2.6
R-U Other NACE activities	9.0	8.2	-0.8
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	183.7	178.3	-5.4

'000

Dublin
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	*	*	*
B-F Total Industry	61.8	62.2	0.4
B-E Industry	40.6	40.9	0.3
F Construction	21.2	21.3	0.1
G-U Total Services	490.6	510.5	19.9
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	76.9	76.6	-0.3
H Transportation and storage	32.9	35.4	2.5
I Accommodation and food service activities	37.2	45.4	8.2
J Information and Communication	38.9	43.2	4.3
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	50.4	51.3	0.9
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	49.2	47.3	-1.9
N Administrative and support service activities	20.1	22.5	2.4
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	30.3	32.4	2.1
P Education	41.7	46.5	4.8
Q Human Health and social work activities	77.8	78.4	0.6
R-U Other NACE activities	35.3	31.5	-3.8
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	555.1	576.4	21.3
Mid-East
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	10.7	8.0	-2.7
B-F Total Industry	42.4	46.1	3.7
B-E Industry	28.4	30.9	2.5
F Construction	14.0	15.2	1.2
G-U Total Services	165.8	174.3	8.5
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	34.2	31.8	-2.4
H Transportation and storage	11.1	13.0	1.9
I Accommodation and food service activities	14.0	14.5	0.5
J Information and Communication	10.5	9.9	-0.6
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	12.6	14.1	1.5
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	11.6	13.7	2.1
N Administrative and support service activities	5.8	9.4	3.6
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	12.7	11.4	-1.3
P Education	17.1	17.2	0.1
Q Human Health and social work activities	24.1	26.4	2.3
R-U Other NACE activities	12.0	13.0	1.0
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	219.0	228.5	9.6
Mid-West
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	9.9	11.4	1.5
B-F Total Industry	33.7	34.2	0.5
B-E Industry	24.5	25.6	1.1
F Construction	9.2	8.7	-0.5
G-U Total Services	107.2	102.3	-4.9
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	20.6	21.7	1.1
H Transportation and storage	7.4	6.4	-1.0
I Accommodation and food service activities	10.7	10.1	-0.6
J Information and Communication	5.1	5.2	0.1
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	4.6	4.4	-0.2
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	6.1	7.3	1.2
N Administrative and support service activities	4.8	[3.7]	[-1.1]
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	7.7	7.4	-0.3
P Education	13.7	12.5	-1.2
Q Human Health and social work activities	18.3	16.0	-2.3
R-U Other NACE activities	8.2	7.6	-0.6
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	150.9	148.0	-2.9

'000

South-East
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	20.2	20.7	0.5
B-F Total Industry	41.9	41.6	-0.3
B-E Industry	29.1	27.6	-1.5
F Construction	12.8	14.0	1.2
G-U Total Services	125.4	136.0	10.6
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	28.8	28.6	-0.2
H Transportation and storage	5.9	6.9	1.0
I Accommodation and food service activities	13.0	15.3	2.3
J Information and Communication	[3.0]	[3.2]	[0.2]
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	6.9	6.2	-0.7
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	7.9	9.3	1.4
N Administrative and support service activities	4.9	5.4	0.5
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	7.9	8.4	0.5
P Education	14.6	16.6	2.0
Q Human Health and social work activities	21.8	26.1	4.3
R-U Other NACE activities	10.7	9.9	-0.8
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	187.7	198.5	10.7
South-West
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	18.9	21.8	2.9
B-F Total Industry	61.7	56.6	-5.1
B-E Industry	45.7	39.2	-6.5
F Construction	16.0	17.4	1.4
G-U Total Services	199.5	195.0	-4.5
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	40.2	42.1	1.9
H Transportation and storage	9.6	11.0	1.4
I Accommodation and food service activities	22.9	20.8	-2.1
J Information and Communication	8.4	9.3	0.9
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	8.3	7.9	-0.4
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	13.6	12.7	-0.9
N Administrative and support service activities	10.0	10.6	0.6
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	11.0	10.2	-0.8
P Education	23.7	20.2	-3.5
Q Human Health and social work activities	38.2	36.6	-1.6
R-U Other NACE activities	13.6	13.7	0.1
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	280.7	273.3	-7.3
State
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	103.4	109.8	6.4
B-F Total Industry	341.1	342.0	0.9
B-E Industry	238.4	235.7	-2.7
F Construction	102.7	106.3	3.6
G-U Total Services	1,424.2	1,448.0	23.8
G Wholesale and Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	271.5	269.5	-2.0
H Transportation and storage	86.0	90.5	4.5
I Accommodation and food service activities	129.6	137.7	8.1
J Information and Communication	80.4	81.9	1.5
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities	98.9	97.2	-1.7
M Professional, scientific and technical activities	108.0	114.1	6.1
N Administrative and support service activities	58.0	64.2	6.2
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	95.1	96.6	1.5
P Education	150.3	151.2	0.9
Q Human Health and social work activities	244.6	246.1	1.5
R-U Other NACE activities	101.8	99.0	-2.8
Not stated	*	*	*
Total persons	1,869.9	1,901.6	31.6

Table 3a Persons aged 15 years and over in employment (ILO) classified by full-time/part-time Q2 2010 - Q2 2014

'000

	Q2 10	Q2 11	Q2 12	Q2 13	Q2 14
In employment	1,893.6	1,861.3	1,836.2	1,869.9	1,901.6
full-time	1,471.3	1,423.8	1,396.2	1,417.8	1,451.3
part-time	422.4	437.5	440.0	452.1	450.3

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.

Table 3b Persons aged 15 years and over in employment (ILO) classified by full-time/part-time Q2 2011 - Q2 2014- Annual Change

'000

	Q2 11	Q2 12	Q2 13	Q2 14
In employment	-32.4	-25.1	33.8	31.6
full-time	-47.5	-27.6	21.6	33.5
part-time	15.1	2.5	12.1	-1.9

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.

Table 4 Persons aged 15 years and over in employment classified by NACE Rev. 2 Economic Sector, Q4 2013 and 2014

'000

NACE Rev.2 Economic Sector	Q4 2013	Q4 2014	Annual change
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	116.8	105.9	-10.9
Industry	243.6	244.5	0.9
Construction	103.6	116.7	13.1
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	270.4	276.7	6.3
Transportation and storage	89.6	90.2	0.6
Accommodation and food service activities	135.7	137.5	1.8
Information and communication	82.5	83.5	1.0
Financial, insurance and real estate activities	97.1	101.8	4.8
Professional, scientific and technical activities	115.2	117.1	1.9
Administrative and support service activities	64.5	65.6	1.1
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	95.0	94.7	-0.3
Education	146.9	154.0	7.1
Human health and social work activities	249.6	248.9	-0.7
Other NACE activities	98.0	98.1	0.1
Not Stated	*	[3.6]	*
Total persons	1,909.8	1,938.9	29.1

* Estimates for numbers of persons or averages where there are less than 30 persons in a cell are not produced as estimates are too small to be considered reliable.

Parentheses [ ] indicate where there are 30-49 persons in a cell, estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution.

Reference period: Q4=Oct-Dec.

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.

Table 5 Persons aged 15 years and over classified by ILO Economic Status, Q4 2013 and 2014

'000

ILO Economic Status	Q4 2013	Q4 2014	Annual change
In the labour force	2163.1	2152.5	-10.5
In employment	1,909.8	1,938.9	29.1
Unemployed	253.2	213.6	-39.6
Not in the labour force	1,434.3	1,449.3	15.0
Total persons	3,597.4	3,601.9	4.5

Reference period: Q4=Oct-Dec.

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

My question related to the detailed report on job creation during 2014 by local authority area and sector. Contrary to much of the propaganda put around by the Government, when the figures are deconstructed and broken down the live register figures are unchanged. The standardised unemployment rate is 10%. The live register basically flat-lined in April with a nominal decline of only 1,800 people, or effectively 0%. When we factor in the rise in the activation numbers, that is, people who have been placed on labour activation schemes - this figure was 2,000 people in March - the figures will cancel themselves out.

My question to the Taoiseach involved having a look at the types of jobs and where those jobs were. In January the Taoiseach said that 40,000 new jobs would be created this year and that unemployment would fall below 10% into single figures. Some 29,000 jobs were created in 2014. Therefore, we will need far more significant job creation to reach even the levels that the Taoiseach indicated. Only 14,400 people were taken off the live register in the first four months of this year. Some 25% of this cohort were put onto labour activation schemes rather than real jobs. This is becoming a serious source for the Government in glossing over the real unemployment figures.

What types of job are being created? Official data shows that fewer than half of the jobs added since March are full-time employee positions, which leaves people at a far higher risk of poverty and low pay. This is reflected in the 70% increase in spending on the family income supplement since 2011. According to Neary, who investigated payment rates and pay breaches, the risk of low pay is much greater for employees on low hours, in that more than one in two of these are low paid, and the risk is similar for employees with temporary contracts. This is becoming a recovery based on low pay and low hours. As of September 2014, the proportion of part-time workers had risen from 19% before the recession to almost a quarter.

At the end of April, 90,000 people were on labour activation schemes and were not included in the live register. This means that, in total, there were 439,000 under-employed or unemployed or on labour activation schemes, which is a very high number. If the figures were being calculated in the US, for example, those people would be included in the figures. Finfacts refers to this as a broad jobless rate of 20%, and this is the term used in the US. The emigration rate is, of course, a big safety valve for this Government and, traditionally, for the establishment in this country. If the emigration rate of the past seven years had stayed at the pre-crisis level, there would be 287,000 more people here in this country, potentially all unemployed. That would increase the number of unemployed and under-employed people to a massive 726,000, and of the unemployed to over 500,000. Other countries such as Spain and Italy do not have the same recourse to or tradition of emigration that we, who are living in an English-speaking country, have. The Government should truly be thankful for the current unemployment rate, given that these people could also be competing for jobs in this economy. According to the statistics, there are 20 unemployed people competing for every job vacancy, which compares to a figure of five in Belgium and 2.1 in Germany.

One in ten people who were taken off the live register have now been put on labour activation schemes. This is a very serious issue which the Government is trying to gloss over; it is a weapon in the armoury of the Government to reduce the unemployment figures. Moreover, one in four young people are unemployed, and half of those who are unemployed have been in that situation for more than a year, so we have a very high youth unemployment rate.

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, reiterated in March that the Government is aiming for sustainable full employment by 2018. However, that was casually and quietly dropped in the Government's spring economic statement. Now, full employment has been redefined as an official rate of unemployment of up to 6%, which compares with actual unemployment rates of 4% to 4.6% in 2006-07. On top of this, the spring statement quietly abandoned the target of full employment, projecting an official jobless rate of 7.8% in 2018 and 6.9% in 2020. This must be the context for the Minister for Finance's insulting comments about people being allergic to work in this country, which really annoyed and infuriated a lot of people.

With regard to geography, which Deputies on the other side of the House should be concerned about, employment growth in Dublin and the mid-east is equivalent to 94% of the total net employment growth. There is a massive geographical imbalance whereby areas outside the Pale are still languishing and stagnating, with the same unemployment figures. The midlands and mid-west had very moderate increases, while the Border counties are stagnating. In my own area of Blanchardstown, where there are two Ministers, since December 2014, some 59 people have come off the live register, and, if we go by the national figures, 15 of them will have been put onto labour activation schemes. It is not a very glowing report in terms of recovery.

Deputy Paul Kehoe

I assure the Deputy I will give her a full response later today when I get the relevant tables. She spoke about the breakdown between local authority areas, but the breakdown is done by region, which is a European standard for reporting such information.

The Deputy referred to job activation schemes. There were 89,704 people engaged in activation schemes run by the Department of Social Protection in March 2015. Those engaged in work-based activation programmes do not fall under the definition of being unemployed and do not appear in the employment estimates as reported by the Quarterly National Household Survey, QNHS, which is the official source of estimated unemployment in the State. The primary classification used by the QNHS is the ILO labour force classification, which states that those engaged in education-based activation programmes may or may not be classified as unemployed, depending on the labour force situation. The classification for unemployed persons includes those persons who in the week before the survey were without work, had taken specific steps in the previous four weeks to find work, and were available to take up work in the two weeks after the survey.

In the spring statement, the Minister, Deputy Michael Noonan, outlined that there was strong economic growth of 4.8% of GDP in 2014 and that this should continue to contribute to the growth of the labour market, with employment projected to increase by 40,000 this year. If the present trends continue, it is highly likely that the unemployment rate will move below 9% by the end of this year. In quarter 4 of 2014, there were 1,938,900 persons in employment, an increase of 1.5%, or 29,000, on quarter 4 of 2013. Employment is moving in the right direction. While Deputy Coppinger wants to put a negative spin on it, these are the figures. The CSO does not lie, and these are the statistics in its survey. These are actual net jobs that this Government is creating in a growing economy. We will continue to do that for as long as we are in government and, I have no doubt, we will do it in the next Government.

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl

I will try to stay away from the statistics, because we can all get a bit bogged down in them, although there are a number of critical statistics that we need to look at. I was a bit shocked by what the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation said earlier when he denied that a two-tier recovery is taking place. It is very strange to hear him come into the House and utter that denial when we know that in the very recent past the Department of Finance made a submission to the Low Pay Commission effectively acknowledging and accepting that, in fact, a two-tier recovery is taking place.

Thanks be to God there is a recovery - we will acknowledge that and we want to see that recovery expanded and consolidated. I accept the political charge that is made that not every political party would have the same commitment to the achievement of full employment once again. However, we have to deal with facts. There is no point in either deluding ourselves or deluding the public about the progress that is being made.

When we talk about a two-tier recovery, we see clearly, as Deputy Coppinger pointed out, what is happening in the Dublin area. However, while this substantial growth in the capital is welcome, it is growth that is not being experienced by the rest of the country. Even when we look at the growth that is happening in the capital, we have to look at the type of growth that is taking place and we have to ask ourselves what percentage of the new jobs that are being created are part-time jobs or jobs in low-paid employment.

Against that background, we have to consider the dispute in Dunnes Stores. We have to ask ourselves what sort of country we are living in when the country's leading retailer, for which the people of the country have a lot of regard and respect, employs many people on the type of contract that creates an environment for them in which not alone can they not get a mortgage, but they cannot even enter into a sustainable long-term rental agreement.

A number of Members recently held meetings with the group of unions representing Bord na Móna. They made it quite clear to us that within that profit-making semi-State company, moves would appear to be under way to change terms and contracts of employment and the rates of pay for people employed by the company. It is clear that the company has been emboldened by the sort of environment in which we are living, where it seems to be quite possible to drive down wages and disimprove the terms and conditions of employees. That is something I, for one, would never support.

Understandably, I spent a lot of time over the past couple of weeks in Carlow-Kilkenny, as I am sure the Minister of State has, and one need only knock on the doors to find out from people that they are in the second tier and have yet to feel there is any real sense of recovery, additional cash in their pockets or jobs of which they or their family members can avail. Last evening, we met community groups and representatives of business interests with our candidate, Bobby Aylward. One of the issues raised was the lack of IDA Ireland visits to Carlow-Kilkenny. The record of IDA Ireland in terms of visits to the constituency is rather poor.

I read the statistics on my county, Kildare, and noted that in each of the past three years there has been only one IDA Ireland visit. I find that quite shocking.

Deputy Joe Carey

What about the Kerry Group?

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl

The Kerry Group is very welcome and will be a great employer.

Deputy Joe Carey

How many jobs?

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl

I am not quite sure. Maybe Deputy Carey can tell me. The Kerry Group is welcome, as were Hewlett-Packard and Intel before it. We cannot stay static, however. County Kildare is growing rapidly and is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country. As a result of the growth in population, we must see a corresponding growth in jobs. The Minister of State alluded to some statistics. Those on job creation and job losses in County Kildare were interesting. The statistics on IDA Ireland-supported companies show - Deputy Carey is correct - that 1,522 jobs were created in the course of 2012, 2013 and 2014, which is very good. However, in the corresponding period, 1,526 jobs were lost in IDA Ireland-sponsored companies. As far as IDA Ireland is concerned, we in County Kildare have been left with a net loss.

The Minister, Deputy Bruton, appears in mass media every day to tell us about all the jobs that are being created. We cannot see those jobs; they are not tangible. The points made by Deputy Coppinger are very relevant and correct. Between 86,000 and 90,000 people are in various job activation schemes. It is good that those people are being activated, but let us not fool ourselves about the fact that they are in need of full-time employment. An additional 124,000 are in part-time employment, but aspire to achieve full-time employment. The ambition of some 250,000 people is to achieve full-time employment and they do not fall into the category to which the Minister, Deputy Noonan, alluded to in the past week or so. Such people want to go to work, as do the majority of people who are unemployed.

Can the Minister of State tell us what will be done to ensure that those in activation schemes can progress from them to more meaningful employment? What will be done by the Government to address the plight of those people in part-time employment who want to work full-time? What will be done to ensure that State agencies such as Enterprise Ireland reach out and become far more active in encouraging employers to locate in the regions where their activity is badly needed?

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

The Minister of State quoted from some of the tables with which he will supply us later, namely, the quarterly national household figures. I presume the Minister referred to the last published figures from February which relate to last year.

I understand 26,900 net new jobs were created last year. When one examines the figures and the details, as others have, such as Deputy Coppinger who mentioned them earlier, one can see that the Government's recent commitment to deliver full employment by 2018 would be quite difficult. The difference between those who were made unemployed and the jobs that were created was 26,900. The Government said it needed to create full employment by 2018. To do that it would need to double that figure each year between now and 2018. That goal has eluded the Government for four years, as have other goals mentioned by Deputies. I do not see any strategy which is capable of doubling the delivery of net jobs to the State each year for the next four years. Some 50,000 net jobs per year would need to be created to achieve the Government's goal. It is also my goal, but it has been set by the Government which wants to deliver it by 2018.

We do not have the tables to which the Minister of State referred. Therefore, we do not know whether the CSO reflects the fact that for every new job created, five people have migrated from our shores to America, Australia and elsewhere. I do not know whether the table on emigration supplied by the CSO is among the tables the Minister of State has put together and said he will circulate.

Does he accept the figures show that the number of people in employment in the west had fallen by 4,800 and in the south west by 5,000 up to December 2014? The numbers in employment in the Border region, as Deputy Coppinger mentioned, have fallen by 1,300 since the Government took office.

That suggests that whenever the Government issues these tables, the figures for those who have emigrated should also be attached.

There was no increase in employment in the Border area, despite Enterprise Ireland and the IDA saying that 2014 was a successful year. For those living in rural Ireland it does not seem to have been successful. I have cited three different regions - the west, the south west and the Border region - as having fewer people employed than when the Government took office.

Unlike the Government, the IDA has failed to meet its targets on regional job creation. This is in part due to a lack of investment in infrastructure and a lack of political will. The Minister of State is obviously not responsible for that. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation can come before the House and respond on the IDA and Enterprise Ireland as well as the local enterprise offices, which are not properly funded or resourced. Unless the Minister, Deputy Bruton, remedies that, the CSO figures for which the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, is responsible will show a further decline in employment.

This situation is not captured in the figures that have been presented to date. How many of those jobs are part time or low paid? That is a key factor in terms of the jobs being created in future. We have seen a further decline in 2014 in the number of young people aged between 20 and 34 in the labour force. That might be a reflection of the nearly 90,000 the Minister of State has said are in job activation.

There needs to be a greater focus on city and town marketing plans that provide e-commerce platforms for local businesses, although, again, this is not the Minister of State's responsibility. He needs to be saying that these CSO figures are reflecting unemployment, under-employment and employment decline not only in rural Ireland but also in towns and cities. The Minister of State can reflect that at the Cabinet table.

Does the Minister of State accept that the Labour Party and Fine Gael continued to fail Ireland's missing generation, with 60,000 fewer 20 to 34 year-olds in employment since they took office? That is a huge figure which I talked about earlier in respect of emigration. The number of new graduates leaving is even higher. It would be interesting to see if the CSO figures are reflecting the number of graduates in employment. We are training up a whole new generation of graduates, yet the State is not likely to see the benefit of its investment in their education. Other countries such as Australia, England, America and maybe even countries in Europe will see the benefit of that investment instead. The most recent data from the Higher Education Authority tells us that the number of Irish graduates working abroad has increased, and that 12% of the 2013 graduates were working overseas compared to 5% in 2008. Although I doubt it, those statistics may be contained in the CSO figures that are going to be released later.

Does the Minister of State accept that unemployment has fallen? We accept that. However, the number of those in jobs activation, which other Deputies have mentioned, has not been added to that figure of roughly 89,400 that the Minister of State mentioned himself. People in jobs activation schemes are classified as employed. We would have a different and substantially higher unemployment rate if those numbers were added together along with the under-employed, those in part-time work who would like to be full-time employed and those on temporary contracts who would like to be on full-time contracts. This opens up the Government to the accusation that the figures are massaged. That is a charge the Minister of State needs to answer in respect of the way the CSO figures are contained. We will go onto another question afterwards about crime figures; there is a controversy around how the question is put and the statistics gathered. It is the same in this case?

In other countries, those on job activation schemes are recorded as unemployed. Those not in full-time employment are also accounted for so that there is a real unemployment figure rather than a fake one. Many job activation schemes have not led to jobs or full-time employment, as has been discussed in this House. There is a major question about how to use statistics and whether the statistics reflect reality.

The number of those in part-time work continues to increase and is now 13% higher than in 2007. People who are unemployed would be happy with whatever work they can get, yet the Minister of State should accept there is a danger that the statistics will be reflecting an increase in part-time work. Although increased employment is welcome, we need to look at the quality of those jobs. The figures I have seen to date do not indicate whether the increases are in high-end jobs, whether the new jobs pay or make work pay. Nor do they indicate how many of those in full-time employment are in fact also in receipt of the likes of family income supplement, FIS. It is necessary to ensure that it is worth people's while to present for full-time work or at least for the minimum 19 hours that would qualify for FIS. There are people who want full-time work and those who are happy with 19 hours. That is for them to decide.

When are the next quarterly national household figures due? Has the Minister of State any indication as to whether they will be substantially different from the ones presented to the public in February this year? What is he going to do? What are the changes in terms of the west, the Border and the south west in particular? They were the main focus of the downturn in employment numbers.

Deputy Paul Kehoe

Let me confirm to Deputy Ó Snodaigh that quarterly national household survey data for quarter one of 2015 is due for publication by the CSO this Thursday, 21 May at 11 a.m. I am not aware of the figures as of yet nor does the Government get the figures before the CSO releases them.

Both Deputies asked similar questions. Two-tier recovery was mentioned. I would not call it a two-tier recovery but there is no doubt that the large mass of population in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway means those places are going to recover faster, specifically in the city areas - I think the Deputy would recognise that. It is going to take a little bit longer to go down into the rural parts of the country. Deputy Ó Snodaigh spoke about the south east, particularly County Carlow. As he mentioned his candidate I will mention mine - David Fitzgerald has outlined his plans for Carlow-Kilkenny over the last weeks. In the south east in general there were 40,000 jobs lost between 2008 and 2010.

In the past two years 23,000 jobs have been created.

Regional imbalance is a concern and a priority for the Government. This is why the Minister, Deputy Bruton, has specific target areas for the various regions in the Action Plan for Jobs. He spoke about this on Leaders' Questions. Recently he brought together all of the agencies under the Action Plan for Jobs to get the regions up and going. The Minister changed the structure of the local employment offices, LEOs, and they are now more interactive with regard to what is happening in each county than they may have been in the past. The 2014 annual results for the LEOs published by the Minister show that 4,012 extra jobs were created by companies supported by the Department through the LEOs. At the end of 2014, total direct employment among the 6,058 client companies stood at 31,326 jobs. A total of 7,305 new jobs were created during 2014 in gross terms. Taking into account losses, the net increase in the number of people at work in these companies was 14%. Jobs growth happened in every county during 2014 in companies supported by LEOs.

In recent months, Combilift created an extra 200 jobs in Monaghan with a €40 million investment. In Tipperary, Ribworld created 100 jobs. In Leitrim, VistaMed created 125 jobs. In Longford, C & D Foods created 70 jobs. In Athlone, Alexon created 200 jobs. In Waterford, West Pharmaceutical created 150 jobs. Bausch and Lomb made a recent announcement there also. In Wexford, 200 jobs were created by ClearStream, and TalkTalk made a jobs announcement in recent years.

We would love to be able to say 300 or 400 jobs are being created throughout the country, but we must create the economy and the basis for enticing companies and foreign direct investment to come to Ireland. There was a total collapse of the construction industry in 2008 and 2009 and it is still recovering. In fairness, the Department of Education and Skills and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, have made significant investment in local authority housing, and there have been many school extensions and new schools. St. Aidan's in Enniscorthy has had an investment of €7.5 million, and a €4.5 million investment has been made in St. Senan's national school. The CBS in Enniscorthy and the national school in Bree have had significant investments, as have other schools throughout the county. This investment increases employment in the construction industry, but we cannot depend on this industry as we did in the past. We must look at other methods of employment.

Under the Action Plan for Jobs, the Minister, Deputy Bruton, is acutely aware of an imbalance, but I do not want to call it a two-tier recovery. Every county in the country has seen an improvement in the tourism industry because of the reduction in the VAT rate put in place by the Government to entice tourists from across the water to come to Ireland and create extra employment, and this has happened. I am concerned about the fact that hotels throughout the greater Dublin area have increased their prices significantly in recent months. Hotels went through a very lean period during the recession, but I would not like to see them out-pricing themselves, because it will turn people away from coming to Ireland for holiday or seeing it as a cheap destination. It is all about employment and having deals for people to come to Ireland.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh spoke about migration and emigration . We all know of people who emigrated between 2008 and 2012, specifically young, well-educated people. We call it the brain drain of Ireland. Many of these people are returning. I cannot say all of them will come back, as some of them have set up homes and families in the US, Australia, Canada or elsewhere. We must create the economic climate for them to return. Creating the economic climate to establish new jobs and encourage direct investment is the most important thing we must do.

The Deputy also spoke about Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. I did not realise the work that Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland carry out until I became a Minister of State, because I now have a direct relationship with them. On trips abroad, specifically for St. Patrick's Day, representatives of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland travel with Government representatives. We also have diplomats who represent Ireland abroad. They do an absolutely fantastic job. I did not realise the work they do until I went abroad and saw it at first hand.

I would love to see IDA Ireland bring more foreign direct investment companies or potential clients to County Wexford, but there must be an attractiveness there for companies. My understanding is that when a foreign direct investment company approaches IDA Ireland, it must go through a checklist as to whether Wexford or Kildare has facilities A, B, C, D and E. A county might not have A but they might have B. It is about putting the perfect fit together. One company was very interested in locating in the south east, as the Rosslare Europort is there, but the reason it hesitated about coming to Wexford was the road network. The Enniscorthy and New Ross bypasses will open up County Wexford and create an extra incentive for a foreign direct investment company to go to Wexford and create jobs. I have no doubt this is the same throughout the country.

I do not want us to leave the House saying there is a two-tier recovery in Ireland. Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway are recovering a touch faster, but we must create the environment for the rest of the country. The Minister, Deputy Bruton, is acutely aware of this, which is why he has established regional projects in the Action Plan for Jobs, which was a brilliant initiative in early 2012. Every Department is involved in it. It breaks down the barriers to creating employment in Ireland.

Crime Data

Niall Collins

Ceist:

7. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach the reason the Central Statistics Office's data on recorded crime for quarter 3 of 2014 have not yet been published; and when they will be published. [13368/15]

Deputy Paul Kehoe

The publication of recorded crime statistics has been temporarily suspended by the Central Statistics Office, CSO. This decision was made on foot of the Garda Inspectorate report on crime investigation published on 11 November 2014. That report raised a number of issues regarding the accuracy of recorded crime administrative data in Ireland.

The CSO understands that while these issues relate to the work of the Garda Síochána, they may have an impact on the level and classification of CSO recorded crime statistics. As such, the office could not continue to publish official statistics without a detailed examination of the issues raised by the inspectorate. The CSO is therefore currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the Garda Inspectorate report to assess the extent to which its findings are reflected in the data made available to the CSO for the compilation of recorded crime statistics. This review is nearing completion

The CSO will resume publication of quarterly recorded crime reports in late June 2015. Simultaneously, the office will publish its review of the quality of Garda recorded crime administrative data, identifying to the best extent possible the statistical impacts as regards coverage and classification from the issues highlighted in the Garda Inspectorate report.

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl

It is absolutely essential that the public has confidence in the statistics emanating from the Central Statistics Office. There are no statistics more important than those coming from An Garda Síochána. The force enjoys huge public support and there is a recognition that gardaí are currently under inordinate pressure in terms of resources and that morale is probably at an all-time low. Nevertheless, it is crucial, as I said, that the statistics provided by the Garda in respect of crimes reported, solved and remaining unsolved should stand the test of public scrutiny.

I welcome the Minister of State's indication that we will see a return to normal by the end of June in terms of the provision of crime statistics by the CSO. Will he clarify the type of analysis that is going on and the types of problem that have given rise to this deferral until late June?

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

It has been a cause of major concern for several years that crimes were recorded in different ways in different parts of the country and even within the city of Dublin itself. As a member of Dublin City Council's joint policing committee, I recall being presented with reports in which there was clearly a difference in how crime statistics were compiled for different districts, even where districts were only two or three miles apart. It was only when one amalgamated the figures for two or three subcategories of crime that one would arrive at the true figure for a particular crime.

It is vital, at the very least, that everybody involved in gathering statistics in regard to crime use the same terminology. In particular, there should be a clearly understood rationale for referring to a crime under a different title and an explanation as to why some crimes are recorded under a different category. In the case of theft, for instance, a number of categories might be used, including theft from a vehicle, theft from a house, larceny, theft from a shop, and so on. During my time on the joint policing committee, we sometimes had to ask the superintendent presenting the report to give an explanation of the differences between crimes and the reason for their categorisation in the statistics. In addition, we often queried instances in which crimes were recorded as supposedly being solved. The problem was that "solved" did not necessarily mean there was a conviction at the end of it. It might mean, for example, that the gardaí involved in the investigation had managed to identify a suspect. There was not necessarily a delivery for the victim of the crime.

There probably is a need to have different subcategories for particular crimes, but the overall theft figure, for example, should also be provided. This is not just important for those of us who look at these statistics and ask about them in this Chamber. It is important because it influences how the Garda authorities allocate scarce resources. They must be able to respond quickly where they see a crime surge happening in a three-month or six-month period, for instance, by ensuring that adequate manpower and resources, including vehicles, investment in buildings and so on, are directed towards areas of highest crime. That can only be done effectively if the statistics stand up, and, as I understand it, it was because there were doubts in this regard that the CSO suspended the provision of the information. It is to be hoped that when the data are finally released, we can be confident that they stand up. They should, in addition, be presented under the same categories as those used for the Garda national crime figures.

Deputy Paul Kehoe

I join the Deputies in welcoming the resumed publication of the CSO quarterly recorded crime statistics in late June. I accept that the suspension of the provision of this information has been a concern for Members, including Deputies opposite, several of whom have raised it on more than one occasion in the House in recent months.

At the beginning of 2012, the Garda Inspectorate conducted a major review of how crime is investigated in Ireland. This led to the publication of a report in November 2014 which examined issues such as training resource management, treatment of persons in custody and many other areas which are not of relevance to crime statistics. The main focus of the report was on cases of assault, burglary, domestic violence, fatal crime and robbery reported between 2011 and 2012. As part of its analysis, the inspectorate examined 1,500 crime records on the PULSE system, spoke to 1,000 gardaí, examined 158 calls for service received in the 12 months up to mid-2012, visited external stakeholders and other police services, sampled computer-aided dispatch and paper records, collected data on staffing and employment levels, and visited stations and control rooms in various Garda divisions to observe operations.

Of particular interest in respect of the CSO was the inspectorate review of how crime is reported and recorded by An Garda Síochána. Specifically, the report raised several concerns in regard to the accuracy of recorded crime and other administrative data, including the non-recording of crimes on PULSE. In fact, the inspectorate estimated that more than 30% of offences reported were not being recorded on PULSE. It identified evidence of a lack of timely recording of incidents, lack of sufficient detail on PULSE narratives, misclassification of incidents, including to non-crime categories, incorrect reclassification of incidents - again, including to and from non-crime categories - incorrect application of detention status to some incidents, and shortening and alteration of narrative fields to justify subsequent decisions on detention status.

While the issues raised in the report relate primarily to the work of An Garda Síochána, they also have implications for the crime statistics produced by the CSO. In its response to the findings of the Garda Inspectorate, the CSO said it viewed with concern any issues which could have an impact on its official quarterly statistics. The crime data published by the CSO, the office noted, depend entirely on the Garda Síochána's systems and procedures in respect of recorded crime. In November 2014, the director general of the CSO contacted the Garda Commissioner with a view to examining the statistical implications of the inspectorate report. The CSO then commenced work assessing the statistical issues arising. This involved a detailed analysis of both the PULSE system and other Garda administrative data sets by CSO crime section personnel.

This work, which is an important step in ensuring the quality and coverage of crime statistics, delayed the current schedule of publication of the crime statistics by the CSO. The CSO will publish a more detailed response by the end of June 2015, identifying the extent of the impact on statistics in respect of coverage and classification from the issues highlighted in the Garda Inspectorate report. As a precaution, until the conclusion of the CSO review process, the CSO suspended the release of any new statistical information and publications that incorporate PULSE-administered data. The publication of the quarterly record of crime reports of quarter three and quarter four of 2014 and the Garda crime statistics 2009-2013 have been delayed as a direct result of this review process. The CSO will resume publication of quarterly reports in late 2015.

The Garda Inspectorate report on crime investigation forms an important component of the overall justice reform programme, which is currently under way and in respect of which significant progress has already been made. An Garda Síochána has established an implementation steering group to focus on the implementation of short, medium and long-term recommendations in the report and to assist in the overall reform process a strategic transformation office has been established at Garda headquarters to co-ordinate the implementation of reforms arising from the report. As part of this process, An Garda Síochána is reviewing all aspects of how crime is being recorded and classified as a result of the recommendations made in the inspectorate's report. A new instant recording process, which addresses the challenges identified in the report, has been developed and is currently being piloted in three Garda divisions. The pilot is focused on achieving data integrity for both crime and non-crime incidents reported to the Garda information services. That is a comprehensive reply for the Deputies opposite.

Written Answers follow Adjournment.