14.8% Drop In Numbers Signing On Live Register In Offaly

By Justin Kelly

Central Statistics Office figures for December 2014 have revealed a 14.8% decline in the number of people on the live register in Co. Offaly. The number of unemployed people has declined in all eight regions of the country, and the news has been welcomed by Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy.

“Another drop in the Live Register in December emphasises that the economy is in recovery and that more people are entering the jobs market. I am particularly encouraged that the Live Register here in Offaly has dropped by such a significant percentage,” Corcoran Kennedy said.

Rural Ireland has been particularly affected by the economic downturn, and while technology companies like Facebook and Google have opened offices in the urban centres, counties like Offaly have been lacking investment. Corcoran Kennedy, who is the chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs and Enterprise, has spoken of the government's commitment to rural communities: “This year there will be an increased focus on job creation outside of the main urban centres as the Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton prepares the launch of a pilot programme in the shape of the Regional Enterprise Strategy. This strategy, which I welcome, will specifically address local economies in rural areas, an issue I have consistently raised with Minister Bruton in the Dail,” the deputy stated.

It was recently announced by the IDA that 37% of foreign investments in 2014 were made outside the main urban centres, and Corcoran Kennedy wants to ensure counties like Offaly “compete with the likes of Dublin and Cork” in terms of foreign direct investment going forward. “The IDA figures are encouraging, and the government will commit to continuing this trend in the future,” she added.

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy has also welcomed the other investments that were made in Offaly throughout 2014: “€6,971,007 went towards capital spend for schools in the county and 18 Garda cars came on stream in the Laois/Offaly division,” she revealed. While recognising these positives in the county, Corcoran Kennedy also acknowledged the difficulties that have been encountered by the people of Co. Offaly: “There is no doubt that 2014 was a challenging year for the people of Offaly. We have been coming out of the most difficult recession in the history of the State and recovery does not happen overnight. Major progress has been made however, and the same can be expected for 2015.”

Nationally, the latest CSO Live Register figures show that the unemployment rate has dropped to 10.6% from a high of 15.1% in 2012, and Corcoran Kennedy says “we expect that this figure will finally drop below 10% in 2015.”