The Irish government has been urged to establish a jobs fund in line with plans unveiled in its pre-election manifesto.

According to the Irish Small Medium Enterprises Association, the scheme to boost employment should be put in place as soon as possible after new data showed the rate of people out of work in the country had climbed, the Irish Times reports.

Mark Fielding, chief executive of the body, said: "It is vital that this commitment is adhered to and that a programme for jobs recovery is implemented, with a specific emphasis on sustaining enterprise and addressing long term unemployment."

Official figures showed unemployment rose in Ireland during the fourth quarter of 2010 to 14.7 per cent.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the jobless rate rose by a full percentage point on the previous three months, with the number of people in work declining on a seasonally-adjusted basis by 0.9 per cent, or 16,000 between October and December.

However, the pace at which roles were being lost slowed from a 1.2 per cent drop in the third quarter of 2010.

Posted by Alex Donnell