Ireland's jobless rate now stands at 10.4 pct

Ireland's jobless rate now stands at 10.4 percent, down from a crisis peak of 15.1 percent in early 2012, according to official figures on Wednesday.

The figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed that total employment now stands at 1,938,900, the highest level in five years.

The number of people in work has increased by 95,000 since the depths of the crisis, with an increase of 39,600 last year alone. In 2014, 3,300 new jobs were created per month.

The long-term unemployment rate continued to decline, representing 57.8 percent of shrinking total unemployment, compared to 61.4 percent a year ago.

Irish Deputy Prime Minister Joan Burton welcomed continuing rise in numbers of people at work, saying that these figures demonstrate the continuing success of the government's twin-track strategy to creating jobs and helping people return to work.

Under the twin-track strategy, one track focused on job-creation and the other track focused on creating real meaningful work opportunities for people who are long-term unemployed.

But she said the unemployment remains too high and that the government still has much work to do.

Meanwhile, Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said many people criticized the government for setting unrealistic ambitions, when the government launched the first Action Plan for Jobs in early 2012.

"It is hugely encouraging that we are on course to hit the target of 100,000 extra people at work 18 months early," he said.

"We have now moved on to the next phase, and I firmly believe that with the right policies and a stable political environment we can deliver full employment by 2018," he added. Endit