Government has fallen far short of its job-creation target, says Kerry TD Ferris
The Tánaiste, Joan Burton, regularly cites even small decreases in the live-register figures as a cause for government self-congratulation. Deputy Spring objects, however, when an elected representative mentions an increase in unemployment in Kerry for three months in a row.
The Labour Party has become a willing tail to be wagged by the Fine Gael dog, and its much-promised jobs plan has meant little, except to force people into job schemes.
Labour and Fine Gael promised 100,000 new jobs during their government. With maybe a year left, they have increased employment by just 58,600 (CSO figures). For every job created, five people have emigrated and the hurt and loneliness of the loss of those people is felt up and down the western seaboard.
It is well-established that the Government has been using so-called job-activation schemes, such as JobBridge and Gateway, to massage figures.
Yes, long-term unemployment has fallen, but nearly 140,000 people, over half of the unemployed, have been out of work for more than a year.
Youth unemployment continues to fall, but 48,400 under-25s are unemployed, and 35% of these are long-term.
If the Government is to meet its new commitment to full employment by 2018, they would have to deliver 43,275 new jobs every year, yet their annual record, to date, is just 14,650, or 23% of this target.
So, while failing to meet their first target, the Government, in the same breath, is promising to triple job-creation for each year for the next four years.
A general election is coming fast and Deputy Spring can clearly see the writing on the wall.
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