Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

It is not all bad news. In 1990 unemployment was higher in Northern Ireland than the rest of the United Kingdom. The unemployment rate in Catholic and Protestant areas has since fallen dramatically and is now lower than the average UK rate. While significant pockets of unemployment remain and significant differences remain in the ratio of Catholics to Protestants unemployed, the figures are improving. I received figures on the PSNI, for example, which show the number of Catholics in the police has dramatically improved in recent years.

Monitoring and assessment of all these indicators continues right across the spectrum and liaison between officials from the South and their Northern counterparts is continuous with a view to ensuring equality remains high on the agenda. I welcome the recent appointment of Mr. Bob Collins as chairman of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

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