The March live register figures, due for release next week, are expected to show the Government's drive to push unemployment down to the 5 per cent mark remains on track, with around 201,000 people signing on the live register last month.
The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, said she expected the numbers signing on to fall below 200,000 in April for the first time in 16 years.
"This is all extremely satisfying news. It is a further positive indication of the strength of our economy, which is translating into both a substantial growth in employment and a substantial fall in unemployment," she said.
The March figures compare with an unadjusted figure of 207,600 in February when the unemployment rate stood at 6.8 per cent. The rate has been falling steadily since October 1995 when it stood at 12 per cent. The highest rate since current records began was in August 1985 when the rate stood at 17.3 per cent.
The seasonal unemployment figure has now fallen for 23 consecutive months, taking Ireland's jobless rate from among the highest in the European Union to well below the EU average.
Ms Harney said the latest progress report on the Government's Employment Action Plan showed further evidence of success in tackling unemployment.
Since last September, nearly 5,000 young people had been referred to FAS and 53 per cent of these had left the live register by the end of February. Nearly 70 per cent of that number left to take up a job, training or education course, Ms Harney said.
In March, the action plan was extended to unemployed people under 25 who were more than 18 months on the live register and it will be extended again in May when referrals from adult unemployed people approaching a year on the register will begin.
The Tanaiste said she had also ordered a major emphasis on targeting unemployment in two areas, Ballyfermot in Dublin and Kilkenny which will begin in June. "Commencing in June, every unemployed person [in these areas] will be targeted and referred to FAS for employment assistance," she said.
