Long-term unemployment 'at crisis point'

A leading agency which assists people out of work has said the long-term unemployment rate has reached a crisis point.

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office yesterday showed that more than half of the 304,500 people without jobs have been unemployed for more than a year.

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed is calling on the Government to draw up specific initiatives to address the issue.

John Stewart from the INOU has said long-term unemployment situation is now "a significant problem".