James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 220: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs lost and provided in Mullingar, County Westmeath in the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38745/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Employment/unemployment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey, published by the CSO. It does not provide data on particular counties but only on Regions. Employment in the Midlands Region, which includes County Westmeath, has dropped by 19,600 and unemployment has increased by 12,700 in the last 10 years from Quarter 2 (April-June) 2000 to Quarter 2 2009.

Live register figures for Mullingar have increased by 3,531 from September 2000 to September 2009. There was 4,840 signing on the Live Register in Mullingar in September 2009. The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time, seasonal and casual workers entitled to unemployment benefit.

In relation to the numbers of jobs lost, there is no exact measure, however, the Department records the number of redundancies notified to them on a monthly basis. The table below sets out the number of redundancy notifications received for County Westmeath from 2000 to 2009.

The table below provides details of full time job gains and job losses in enterprise agency supported companies in County Westmeath for the 10 year period 1999 – 2008.

There were 4,735 jobs created in County Westmeath by the enterprise development agencies for the 10 year period of 1999 to 2009, while 4,343 jobs have been lost in the same period. Figures for 2009 will not be available until early 2010.

My Department has adopted a broad range of measures to upskill and in many cases reskill the unemployed and to keep as many people as possible close to the labour market, thereby facilitating their re-entry into employment as soon as possible. These measures include the provision of various training initiatives that are designed to provide portable and transferable skills in a range of areas that will increase participants' employability throughout all sectors of industry.

Several new activation measures have also been launched. These include a Work Placement Programme for those who are unemployed, and a programme to enable the unemployed participate in third level courses on a part time basis.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 221: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs lost and provided in Granard, County Longford in the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38746/09]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 222: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs lost and provided in Ballymahon, County Longford in the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38747/09]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 223: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs lost and provided in Longford, County Longford in the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38748/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 to 223, inclusive, together.

Employment and unemployment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey, published by the CSO. It does not provide data on particular counties but only on Regions.

Employment in the Midlands Region, which includes County Longford, has dropped by 19,600 and unemployment has increased by 12,700 in the last 10 years from Quarter 2 (April-June) 2000 to Quarter 2 2009.

The Live Register collects data by social welfare office. There is only one social welfare office in Longford in which the CSO record data for which is Longford Town, which covers the whole of the county. Live register figures for Longford have increased by 3,689 from September 2000 to September 2009. There was 5,530 signing on the Live Register in Longford in September 2009. The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time, seasonal and casual workers entitled to unemployment benefit.

In relation to the numbers of jobs lost, there is no exact measure, however, the Department records the number of redundancies notified to them on a monthly basis. The table below sets out the number of redundancy notifications received for County Longford from 2000 to 2009.

Redundancies in County Longford

The table below provides details of full time job gains and job losses in enterprise agency supported companies in County Longford for the 10 year period 1999 – 2008.

There were 2,624 jobs created in County Longford by the enterprise development agencies for the 10 year period from 1999 to 2009, while 2,361 jobs have been lost in the same period. Figures for 2009 will not be available until early 2010.

My Department has adopted a broad range of measures to upskill and in many cases reskill the unemployed and to keep as many people as possible close to the labour market, thereby facilitating their re-entry into employment as soon as possible. These measures include the provision of various training initiatives that are designed to provide portable and transferable skills in a range of areas that will increase participants' employability.

Several new activation measures have also been launched. These include a Work Placement Programme for those who are unemployed, and a programme to enable the unemployed participate in third level courses on a part time basis.