Extra 13,000 people signed on dole in past month
The number of people signing on the dole in Ireland has increased significantly again over the past month, according to figures supplied to the Dáil this morning by Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
Mr Cowen told the House that more than 384,000 people are now on the Live Register, an increase of almost 13,000 since last month.
The total numbers signing on has now increased by 94,000 in the first four months of this year.
This morning, the Economic and Social Research Institute predicted that Ireland's unemployment rate would rise to 17% next year, leaving one-in-six people without a job.
Mr Cowen insisted that the Government was doing all it could to help people losing their jobs.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore, however, accused him of being in denial about the scale of the problem.
