Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Unemployment currently stands at 4.5%. The ESRI projects that it will rise to 5.6% in 2008. It also forecasts that employment will grow by 2.5% — 50,000 — this year and by 0.6% in 2008. The pre-budget outlook is more optimistic in this regard and states employment will grow by 3.5% this year and 1.25% — 26,000 — in 2008.

Employment has increased by 259,000 in the three-year period since 2004 and the number in employment is approximately 2.1 million. It was generally accepted that this rate of growth could not continue and the economy is now entering a period of adjustment. It should be emphasised that the forecasted growth rate, although lower than in previous years, is still impressive by international standards and ahead of the rates that obtain in other EU countries.

The range of services provided by FÁS will be available to anyone who becomes unemployed. This will include active engagement with persons on the live register with the objective of helping them to obtain jobs, either directly or through further training, education or work experience. This will include access to the various training and employment programmes provided by FÁS. FÁS is also placing particular emphasis on the training of low skilled workers in vulnerable industries. This is to ensure that in the event of becoming unemployed, they will have the skills necessary to make the transition to other employment.

The development agencies — IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the county enterprise boards — will continue to promote job creation through the delivery of programmes to assist the enterprise sector to develop and thereby create new jobs.

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