Fine Gael Local Represenative in Glasnevin/Drumcondra, Noel Rock, has said that the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey figures released today which show an annual increase in employment to June of 33,800 is a clear indication that the Government’s strategy to get people off the dole and back to work is paying off.
“There is hardly a town or village in Ireland that has not been seriously impacted by the haemorrhaging of jobs that was presided over by Fianna Fáil during that Party’s colossal mismanagement of our economy; Glasnevin and Drumcondra among them.
“Some things to consider within these figures: in August alone, 109 companies were created every single day in August while only 4 closed down. Meanwhile, the number of private sector employees was up by 21,400, while the number of public sector employees fell by 5,400.
“Today’s figures show that that strategy is working, as we now have 33,800 more people at work than was the case in June 2012; an annual increase of 1.8%. While for many, the impact of these measures has not yet been felt in their own pockets, we are steadily making a dent in the jobless figures, which will increase confidence in the domestic economy, allowing businesses to grow and further increase employment.
“We are making a transition from an economy that was once based on people buying and selling houses to each other at dramatically inflated prices to one that is based on enterprise, exports and innovation. The effectiveness of this transition is evidenced by the fact that the IDA had two record years in 2011 and 2012; Enterprise Ireland had a record year in 2012; and last year’s exports, at a total of €182 billion, were 16% higher than even pre-crisis figures.
“We are on the right track, but we still have a long way to go. We are now at a point where we are creating a net 3,000 additional jobs a month and, crucially, we are seeing the long-term unemployment figures coming down. It is crucial that we remain focused and keep our eye on the ball so that we can continue to encourage investment and create favourable conditions in which jobs can be created in Glasnevin and Drumcondra so that we can get our people off the dole queues and back into the workforce.”