The Government's record on employment in South Tipperary was challenged yesterday as rival candidates traded the first blows of the by-election campaign.
Speaking in Clonmel, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, declared that the Government's employment record was "stunning", pointing to a fall of 100,000 in the live register since June 1997.
However, Labour's Ms Ellen Ferris said the latest unemployment figures, published last Friday, demonstrated that South Tipperary was missing out on the economic boom.
"There are still close to 4,000 people unemployed in the constituency. Every other day there are announcements of new factories in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. However, it seems that Tipp South is not a priority as far as the Government is concerned."
In an "open letter" to the Taoiseach, the independent candidate, Mr Seamus Healy, said he was "stunned and angry" that South Tipperary was not to get a single job under a £230 million investment programme, announced last week, to develop technology firms in the State.
