Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 141: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which she has monitored the number of jobs lost or created on a county or regional basis in each of the past five years to date; the initiatives she has taken to address issues arising therefrom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28010/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The number of people in employment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey or QNHS and published by the Central Statistics Office. In the first quarter of 2009, the most recent quarter for which data is available, employment increased by 48,500 in the five-year period, while unemployment increased by 139,100 over the same period.

The most recent data on employment levels in each of the past five years (on a year on year quarterly basis) are set out in the table:

Source: CSO, Quarterly National Household Survey, Q1 2009 (January–March 2009)

There is no exact measure of the number of jobs lost, however, the Department records the number of redundancies notified to them on a monthly basis. The following table sets out the number of redundancy notifications received on a monthly basis for the years 2004 to 2008. Actual Redundancies 2004 - 2009 broken down by month

Employment data in respect of companies supported by the Enterprise Agencies (Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Shannon Development) is collated on an annual basis only, and accordingly monthly figures cannot be supplied. The following table sets out the number of full-time jobs created in enterprise agency assisted firms only, for the years 2004 to 2008.

The Government remains intent on achieving greater capacity within existing resources to meet the on-going challenges in the labour market. This year the Government have almost doubled the number of FÁS activation training and work experience places for the unemployed to over 129,000. This is a substantial increase on the 66,000 places, which were available at the end of last year. The majority of these additional places are on short courses and will be delivered through three core-training initiatives, Short Courses, Night Courses and Online Courses. These courses are designed to develop new skills and competencies for the unemployed to assist them in securing employment.

Other new programmes which have been rolled out for the unemployed are the Work Placement Programme and the Short time Training Programme. The Work Placement Programme is a six-month work experience programme for 2,000 individuals who are currently unemployed. Under this programme individuals will retain their social welfare entitlements. The Short Time Working Training Programme will provide two days training a week for 277 workers over a 52-week period who are on systematic short time. Participants on this programme will also continue to receive their existing social welfare entitlements.

Recently the Government presented proposals to the Social Partners which focussed on measures to prevent job losses including the possible introduction of a temporary employment subsidy scheme which aims to help employees retain their jobs and employers their skilled workforce in these difficult times.

The Government is also committed to pursuing a job creation strategy that focuses on strengthening our competitiveness, driving down the cost of doing business here and ensuring our return to sustainable export-led growth. My Department's enterprise development agencies will continue to play a key role in supporting companies in creating new job opportunities.