Jobless numbers up by almost half on last year

All of the 75 State and semi-State agencies involved in the creation of jobs, job protection and training should be brought in by the Taoiseach and asked what exactly they are doing to shore up indigenous industries and replacing jobs lost in the construction and other industries, Meath Fine Gael TD Damien English has said. His call on the Government to act came as he described as 'unacceptable' a 49 per cent increase in the numbers of the live register in County Meath since this time last year. 'They cannot bury their heads in the sand and pretend it"s not there. They cannot continue to turn a blind eye to what is happening. All anyone has to do is look at the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures for Meath which show that there are some 5,320 people on the live register at the three local centres of Trim, Navan and Kells,' said the Fine Gael TD. The 49 per cent rise in the live register figures for Meath, an increase of some 1,752, had happened between July 2007 and July 2008, he said. 'My office is inundated with calls from people finding themselves out of work for the first time in their lives. Especially worrying is the huge increase in the number of under-25 year-olds who are now unemployed in Meath (1,036),' he said. Many of these people had worked on building sites or had begun learning a trade through apprenticeship, the TD said. 'It is vital that these are given every chance to finish developing their skills by being allowed to complete their training.' It was now time for a positive response to counteract the downturn in the economy in order to create employment opportunities to live and work in Meath. This would have to involve restoring Meath"s competitiveness and attractiveness as a place to invest and do business, Deputy English said. As Fine Gael"s spokesperson on Labour Affairs and Small Business, he suggested that the Government expand the remit of the County Enterprise Boards that would extend the benefit of their expertise to local businesses and entrepreneurs - in turn, this would help create additional employment in Meath. 'We have a situation now where the County Enterprise Board has run out of money for this year. That is a disastrous situation, as far as we are concerned. These bodies need the money to try to create jobs,' he added. Deputy English said that while jobs had been lost in the construction industry, the anecdotal evidence from his own clinics was that they were also being lost in other sectors, including solicitors" and accountants" offices. The CSO figures show increases in unemployment figures in the three centres of Kells, Navan and Trim between June and July this year, as follows: Kells - June 2008, 864 persons; July 2008, 940 persons (+76 or 8.8%); Navan - June 2008, 2,610; July 2008, 2,785 persons (+175 or 6.7%); Trim - June 2008, 1,427 persons; July 2008, 1,595 persons (+168 or 11.8%). Yearly change for Meath: July 2007, 3,568 persons; July 2008, 5,320 persons (+1,752 or 49.1%).