The latest Live Register figures for the Fermoy area show that unemployment has decreased by 16 per cent between December 2013 and December 2014. Currently the figures for Fermoy Social Welfare Office show that 2,051 are unemployed in the area, a fall of 341 – from 2,392 in December 2013.

Throughout Cork, the latest CSO figures show that employment is down 24 per cent since February 2014. Nationally, unemployment stands at 10.6 per cent, down from a national high of 15.1 per cent in 2012. Welcoming the positive news, Fine Gael TD for Cork East Tom Barry, said the latest December drop emphasises that the economy is in recovery and that more people are entering the workplace.

“I am particularly encouraged that the Live Register here in Cork has dropped by 24 per cent since February 2014. There is however, more work to be done and I expect to see a further drop in these figures in the coming months.

“In Cork, the number of people on the Live Register has fallen from 43,941 to 33,407. Things are moving in the right direction and these figures give us confidence that the politics pursued by this Government are working. Through hard work and dedication a strong, sustainable recovery can be delivered right throughout the country and in particular here in Cork,” Deputy Barry said.

He added: “More people are at work and they can expect to see a little more money in their bank account from this month onwards, thanks to changes made to the tax and USC system in Budget 2015.

“As the economy grows, the Government is in a position to give back to the Irish people who have sacrificed so much. All workers will see a small increase in their earnings starting from this month, but we know that personal taxation is still too high. We are committed to pursuing policies that make work pay and ensure that people in all parts of the country feel the benefit of the growing economy.”