The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed has produced figures on regional disparities in reducing Live Register participation. The figures below represent the decrease in Live Register participation throughout the country since the Government took up office in June 1997.

Spokeswoman Ms Noeleen Hartigan said the Live Register had fallen twice as fast in Dublin as in the Border region since the Government took up office.

She noted that the Government had committed itself to tackling these inter-regional disparities as part of the PPF.

The organisation also drew attention to the worsening financial situation of those on the dole. The 130,500 people on the Live Register who are in receipt of payments are financially worse off now than they were this time last year.

She said inflation had completely wiped out the value of the last Budget's increase in payments.

She said: "We expect the Government to deliver a decent dole increase this year, one which compensates people for the inflation levels of 2000, covers them for inflation in 2001 and bridges the income gap between those in work and those looking for work."