Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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Regarding unemployment, the figures are really good. We are down to 3% or 4%, but there are a number of sectors which could be targeted or helped more. Disabilities were mentioned by several Deputies. There are also people in the Traveller community and women who had children and have not been able to go back to work for a number of reasons. I wish particularly to reference my city, Limerick, where eight out of ten blackspots still are, even though the city has done particularly well with FDI recently. The new statistics will be out in November, so we hope it may have changed in some of the areas. I think and I hope one in particular will have changed.

I recently visited a company called Limerick City Build, which is a community organisation. Groups like that reach the most vulnerable people who have been excluded or have excluded themselves. Generations of families have been excluded from the employment market. It is a question of trying to get them back in. Is there any strategy in that regard? I know it transcends a number of Departments and committees. It is to target those unemployment blackspots while we have this opportunity when we are looking for workers.