Seanad debates

Thursday, 20 November 2008

1:00 pm

Photo of Paddy BurkePaddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Mary Wallace, to the House. This is an important motion. In the past ten years County Mayo has seen the greatest level of economic growth in the history of the State. We have not seen the creation of jobs to match this growth in Mayo, although that is not the case in other counties. It is clear there is a significant downturn, with a sizable increase in the number of people on the live register. From October 2007 to October 2008 there was a 52% increase in the number of people on the live register in Ballina, a 75.7% increase in Ballinrobe, a 29% increase in Belmullet, a 72.8% increase in Castlebar, the capital of the county, an 80% increase in Claremorris, a good market town, a 57.8% increase in Swinford and an 89.4% increase in Westport, which is one of the tourist capitals of the west.

The equivalent figures from April 2008 to October 2008 also show a significant increase: a 28% increase in Ballina, a 28% increase in Ballinrobe, a 37% increase in Castlebar, a 22% increase in Belmullet, a 33% increase in Claremorris, a 26% increase in Swinford and a 53% increase in Westport. By all accounts these figures are on the increase. County Mayo is the third largest county in the country. Various Deputies have submitted parliamentary questions in recent months regarding the number of jobs created in the county in the past ten years. IDA Ireland has only created approximately 500 jobs in the county in that time, although it is supporting several projects and companies by way of financial grants and so on.

Let us compare this with investment in County Cork, the largest county in the country. There is a significant difference in the amount of investment there. I recognise the difference made by the presence of Cork city and that the county is a good deal bigger, but perhaps the variation in investment levels is because the former Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment comes from Cork. An Adjournment debate in the House last week highlighted this point.

In the good times the people of County Mayo suffered greatly as the county has not seen the same increases in employment that occurred in other parts of the country when the economic boom came, but now that there is a downturn in the economy the live register figures indicate very significant increases in the towns mentioned. What plans does the Minister of State have to reduce these figures? What plans does the Government have for job creation throughout the county in the coming years?

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