Almost half Government staff live in Dublin area

It shows that 51,902 people were central and local government workers out of a total labour force of 1.8 million. Of that number, 19,255 were in the capital on the night of the census and a further 5,673 were in Kildare, Meath or Wicklow.

The figures will be seen by the Government as a justification of the decentralisation programme announced in last week's Budget. The scheme, which has received a mixed reaction, envisages moving 10,000 civil service jobs to 53 towns around the country.

"While local authority staff's work is obviously attached to a specific area, the figures show the opportunity we have to redress the imbalance of services and staff between Dublin and the rest of the country," a spokesperson for Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy said.

The Census 2002 Occupations report reflects a number of trends in employment since 1996.

Most significantly, the housing boom was responsible for a rise in construction workers from just under 110,000 to 136,700 in six years. A similar rise was seen in the number of people classing themselves as computer software workers, which almost doubled to nearly 38,000 last year.

On the downward slide are numbers working in farming, fishing and forestry from 140,000 seven years ago to 96,279 in 2002 and textile and clothing workers, less than 9,500 last year compared to 22,616 in 1996.

The figures also show the likely devastating effect of the jobs losses at the Dairygold co-operative. One of its main bases, Mitchelstown, had 387 of its 1,500-strong labour force working in manufacturing, most of whom were probably employees of the troubled company.

The north Cork town had the highest proportion, at 26%, of its working population in the manufacturing sector, followed by Clara, Co Offaly; Shannon, Co Clare and Kanturk, Co Cork, which all had more than 22% in the same type of work.

The highest proportion of employers, managers and higher professionals were in Malahide, Co Dublin, at 41%, followed by 37% in Greystones, Co Wicklow, and Ratoath, Co Meath, and 36% in Oranmore, Co Galway and Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

The survey also showed that non-nationals working in Ireland are better qualified than the overall population and also have a higher rate of participation in the labour force. Over one in five of the non-Irish nationals in the labour force had professional, technical and health occupations, compared with 16.5% for the population overall.

About 150,000 of the 190,000 non-Irish nationals aged 15 years and over in April 2002 were in the labour force.

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Almost half Government staff live in Dublin area

By Niall Murray

JUST under half of the country's civil servants and council staff live in the greater Dublin area, the latest analysis of the 2002 Census revealed yesterday.

It shows that 51,902 people were central and local government workers out of a total labour force of 1.8 million. Of that number, 19,255 were in the capital on the night of the census and a further 5,673 were in Kildare, Meath or Wicklow.

The figures will be seen by the Government as a justification of the decentralisation programme announced in last week's Budget. The scheme, which has received a mixed reaction, envisages moving 10,000 civil service jobs to 53 towns around the country.

"While local authority staff's work is obviously attached to a specific area, the figures show the opportunity we have to redress the imbalance of services and staff between Dublin and the rest of the country," a spokesperson for Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy said.

The Census 2002 Occupations report reflects a number of trends in employment since 1996.

Most significantly, the housing boom was responsible for a rise in construction workers from just under 110,000 to 136,700 in six years. A similar rise was seen in the number of computer software workers, which almost doubled to nearly 38,000 last year.

On the downward slide are numbers working in farming, fishing and forestry from 140,000 seven years ago to 96,279 in 2002 and textile and clothing workers, less than 9,500 last year compared to 22,616 in 1996.

The figures also show the likely devastating effect of the jobs losses at the Dairygold co-operative. One of its main bases, Mitchelstown, had 387 of its 1,500-strong labour force working in manufacturing, most of whom were probably employees of the troubled company.

The north Cork town had the highest proportion, at 26%, of its working population in the manufacturing sector, followed by Clara, Co Offaly; Shannon, Co Clare and Kanturk, Co Cork, which all had more than 22% in the same type of work.

The highest proportion of employers, managers and higher professionals were in Malahide, Co Dublin, at 41%, followed by 37% in Greystones, Co Wicklow, and Ratoath, Co Meath, and 36% in Oranmore, Co Galway and Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

The survey also showed that non-nationals working in Ireland are better qualified than the overall population and also have a higher rate of participation in the labour force. Over one in five of the non-Irish nationals in the labour force had professional, technical and health occupations, compared with 16.5% for the population overall.

About 150,000 of the 190,000 non-Irish nationals aged 15 years and over in April 2002 were in the labour force.