Ms Niamh O'Donoghue:

-----and it has now come down to approximately 15%. General unemployment has come down from approximately 15% to 8% or 9%.

Where are we most concerned still is with older people over 50 who are long-term unemployed, the very long-term unemployed who are unemployed for over five years who have now established very considerable distance from the labour market and who are maybe more vulnerable and in need of greater attention, and those who do not have a residual skill, as in they did not come from a skilled background into unemployment and are starting from scratch.

In terms of what has progressed over the past years, probably contrary to expectations arising from previous exits from recession, the general long-term unemployed numbers have come down much quick than has been the previous experience, youth unemployment figures have come down in the way in which I have said and the transition from short-term, if someone went into short-term unemployment, to long-term unemployment has reduced as well. Those indicators have been very positive in this context compared to previous economic upswings.