Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people who have been registered as unemployed for each of the past three years ending 31 December 2005, 31 December 2006 and 31 December 2007; the number of factory closures and lay offs which have occurred in County Donegal for each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4333/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The number of people on the Live Register at the end of years 2005, 2006 and 2007 was 155,833, 155,389 and 170,376 respectively. The increase in numbers on the Live Register in this two period was 14, 543. The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time, seasonal and casual workers entitled to unemployment benefit. Unemployment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey, collated and published by the Central Statistics Office. The increase in unemployment since 2005 to date is 9,400. Employment has increased from 1,989,800 in 2005 to a current level of 2,140,900. This reflects employment growth of 151,100.

The level of redundancies in each of the three years 2005, 2006 and 2007 in Donegal was 504, 984 and 434 respectively. As a percentage of overall redundancies in the country in these years it equates to 2%, 4% and 1.7%.

Despite past difficulties in County Donegal due to the demise of traditional industries such as agriculture, fishing and textiles, there is clear evidence that the county is successfully engaged in a transition to the new economy. Progress has been made by the IDA in securing new high value investments from Pacificare, Pramerica, SITA and Abbott Diabetes with some 1,200 new jobs being added in the County by overseas firms over the last five years. These companies continue to recruit and are actively seeking new staff. Between 2004 and 2006, Enterprise Ireland client companies created 1,156 jobs as against 980 jobs lost with Enterprise Ireland also approving some €15m in support to its Donegal client companies. The County Enterprise Board has to date paid out some €7m in grant assistance to over 300 clients, which has assisted in the creation of some 1,400 jobs.

I can assure the Deputy that funding support and initiatives for enterprises in County Donegal is, and will remain, a priority for the State development agencies under the auspices of my Department.