“Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell has said that the fact live register figures are continuing to fall is encouraging and it shows that our economic growth is strengthening.
“Over 141,000 people left the live register in 2014, in gross terms, and this signifies an exit rate of almost 40% in people leaving the live register to return to work. This rate of people leaving the live register to take up employment has significantly improved since 2012, when it stood at 33%. Furthermore, approximately 1,300 more people left the live register in January of this year than in January 2014.
“While the unemployment rate has dropped to 10.5%, much work remains to be done in order to ensure the impact of the economic recovery is felt in every home in Dublin Fingal. However, these live register figures signify that the Government’s plan is working and the Action Plan for Jobs is continuing to facilitate job creation in our local communities.
“For every person who leaves the live register to take up employment, €20,000 is saved by the Exchequer each year in terms of reduced social welfare expenditure and increased tax revenues. These savings then allow for a greater amount of funding to be allocated to essential services in our local communities. It is for this reason that job creation has remained to the fore of the Government’s agenda. In 2012, this Government set a target of creating 100,000 jobs by 2016, we are on track to meet that target 12 months ahead of schedule and, in light of that, the Government now aims to deliver an additional 40,000 jobs by the end of this year and to secure full employment by 2018.
“While the continuing reductions in live register numbers will be very welcome in Dublin Fingal, the fact remains that too many people have yet to feel the benefits of the economic recovery in their own homes. I will continue to actively engage with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD as we work to generate greater levels of job creation in the North County.”