Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a work in progress and we are making good headway, from the peak of 157,000 in 2012. When the statistics process started in Ireland, the number was 100,000 and we are getting back to pre-crash levels in so far as we know what the figures are. We are not concentrating on job creation in sectors that offer zero hour contracts or part-time work. The evidence is that the increase in employment in the past two years has been in full-time posts. The number of part-time posts has fallen somewhat. At the beginning of the recession there was a surge in the number of part-time jobs, but that naturally led to a period during which the level of part-time work started to fall and full-time work opportunities emerged. The sectors we are building are ones with long-term sustainable futures in manufacturing, food production, tourism, ICT and so on. We are making steady progress and continue to focus on those strong sectors that have viable futures. We are also looking at the concept of zero hour contracts, on which the Minister of State, Deputy Gerald Nash, will answer questions later.

The programmes of the Tánaiste emphasise full-time work. For example, JobsPlus offers a valuable incentive to an employer to take on a person 12 months out of work. The employer must offer full-time employment hours to qualify for the subsidy of €72 per week for two years. Policy is very much geared to deliver full-time employment opportunities on which people can build a career.

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