Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I did acknowledge that there was jobs growth between 2012 and 2014 in the western region. Jobs growth was 1.4% compared to national growth of 3.9%. The figures show that outward migration is still the main influence on declining unemployment. We are still being plagued with emigration. Total unemployment in the region declined by 28.4% although it is still over 40,000. However, this was mostly caused by a fall in the labour force. We have a higher share of self employment without paid employees, which accounts for 16.3% of jobs in the region and 11.4% in the rest of the State. We have a higher youth employment rate and lower labour force participation, again backing up the whole emigration side of things.

The Minister of State says that APJ Regional will be launched by the end of July. Will each plan have a budget or will each plan have to go through a tendering process for the overall pot? That delay the impact of the delivery of the plan even further.

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