asked the Taoiseach if he will state the Government's plans for dealing with the present high unemployment rate.

18.

asked the Taoiseach whether he is satisfied with the present employment situation with reference to the number of new jobs created in industry since 1965.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 18 together.

The Third Programme for Economic Expansion—covering the period 1969 to 1972—which is to be published about the end of the year, will concentrate on policies designed to secure increases in employment and national output.

The creation of increased industrial employment is acknowledged as the principal measure to reduce unemployment. To this end, the campaign for the attraction of new industry and for the adaptation and expansion of existing industry is being pursued with vigour. The promotional effort of the Industrial Development Authority abroad is being intensified. The purpose of the reorganisation of the authority, at present in progress, is to expand its resources, to provide greater flexibility in meeting its staffing requirements, and to strengthen its decision making powers. A revised industrial grants structure which will include generous facilities for modernisation and re-equipment by existing industry and for incentive packages tailored to meet the special requirements of particularly attractive new projects likely to make a special contribution to the economy is being introduced. The Committee on Industrial Progress which was recently established will determine the best way of concentrating State resources on the potentially most successful firms. Finally, the Small Industries Programme, at present in progress, is aimed at the development of small industry, particularly in areas which have not experienced large scale industrial development.

Will the Taoiseach state if he thinks all these projects will be sufficient to bring down the present high unemployment level?

I expect they will be.

Will the Taoiseach remind the House that in 1957, when the then Leader of the Labour Party was Minister for Social Welfare, the number of registered unemployed was more than 100,000?

Will the Taoiseach remind Deputy MacEntee that when he was Minister and Tánaiste in 1933, unemployment stood at 134,000?

It was 150,000.

When I was Minister for Finance in 1933 we introduced the first Budget in this country which provided work for the unemployed.

At the present time, which is what we are concerned about, not 1956-57, is the Taoiseach aware of the alarming situation whereby virtually no new jobs have been created during the past 18 months? Is he further aware that the NIEC considered we should provide something like 12,500 new jobs a year? Has the Taoiseach any answer to that?

I answered it in my original reply. I said that the Industrial Development Authority programme, and other measures now being taken, will, I hope——

Give us 12,500 new jobs a year?