The unemployment rate should fall to close to 9 per cent by the end of the year, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern has said. He added that such a figure would be well below the EU average.

He said the expected drop would mean extra attention could be paid to the problem of longterm unemployment. The rate of unemployment currently stands at 9.9 per cent. Mr Ahern was speaking at the official opening of Opportunities 98, the exhibition organised by FAS to provide school leavers and jobseekers, graduates and returned emigrants with information on employment opportunities. "These are good times to be a young person looking for a job in Ireland," said Mr Ahern.

Mr Ahern also said that one of the key reasons for today's booming Irish economy was the plentiful supply of well-trained, highly skilled workers.

"The economic success of today was nurtured by the education and training policies which have been pursued for many years," he said.

The seminar runs from today to Friday.