Ireland has the highest level of unemployment in the European Community with nearly 300,000 people registered as unemployed. It is without doubt the nation's most serious social and economic problem, and yet there is little evidence that it is being tackled effectively.Employment has always been scarce in Ireland. In order to solve the present difficulties we must understand the problem in light of how Ireland has failed to deal wirh it in the past.

Kieran Kennedy argues that substantial progress would require painful changes for many established interests. However, these changes will not be accomplished without the backing of the people at large, making unemployment the responsiblilty not just of government, but of the whole community.