merrion street

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore, T.D., has welcomed the reduction in the Live Register figures announced by the CSO today.

The Live Register fell to 391,232 in March, a reduction of some 7,000 since February. The seasonally adjusted figure for March is 396,900, a reduction of 1,800 since February

Welcoming the drop in the number of people signing on, the Tánaiste said:

“These figures represent steady progress in the recovery of our economy. I am particularly happy that the live register numbers have come down in every region of the country. Notably, the highest fall occurred in the south west and mid-west regions. It is important that the recovery should benefit the country as a whole, and not just the major urban centres.

Today’s figures are reflected in the positive Exchequer returns for the first quarter of the year. The returns show that the exchequer took in more than a quarter of a billion euro more than expected in the first quarter of the year. It is especially important that the income tax return is ahead of profile, albeit by a small amount. This reflects the increased numbers of people at work.

The two sets of figures published today are good news. Put simply, some tens of thousands of our people, who were unemployed this time last year, now have jobs. The improvement in our economy is palpable but it is not yet a done deal. There are still too many people out of work and the Government will continue to work tirelessly to put that to right.”