Dublin North East Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Newly published Unemployment figures highlighted.

Published: 20 January, 2010

Councillor Larry O'Toole has today called for urgent Government priority to create jobs in the Coolock and Kilbarrack areas following the publication of new figures showing an alarming increase in unemployment there.

Speaking in support of an Irish Organisation of the Unemployed campaign Larry stated: "We are currently facing unemployment figures that hark back to the worst days of the 1970's and 1980's and in the midst of it all we have a Government sitting on its hands and doing nothing positive to change things.

I am horrified to see the increase in dole queues in both the Coolock and Kilbarrack areas. In Coolock the Live Register has increased from 3,573 to 5,103 in just twelve months; while Kilbarrack has sen its figures increase from 3,514 to 5,164 over the same period.

We have seen layoffs and complete closures in former flagship employers such as Cadbury and Tayto, without any direct Government initiatives to provide new, genuine jobs. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan needs to come here to see for herself the damage caused by the downturn and to reassure the people of these areas that she has their best interests in mind. Both myself and other elected representatives in this area would be only too happy to meet with her to address this problem. We are quite simply sitting on a social time bomb."