Unemployment fell by almost 16 percent in 2014 with 213,600 people out of work by the end of the year, falling to its lowest level since 2008.

That means an unemployment rate of 10.4 percent at the end of 2014 – with 39 thousand less unemployed in Ireland across the year.

The Central Statistics Office has published its Quarterly National Household Survey for the last quarter of 2014 – which also shows a 1.5 percent growth in the number of people working.

Male unemployment decreased by 23,400 (-14.7%) to 135,500 over the year to Q4 2014, while female unemployment decreased by 16,300 (-17.2%) to 78,100 over the same period.

The unemployment rate for 15-24-year-olds (youth unemployment rate) decreased from 24.2% to 20.3% over the year to Q4 2014.

Senior statistician with the CSO, Brian Ring explains how many men and women were out of work:

When seasonal factors are taken into account like extra staff being hired at Christmas, the adjusted rate of unemployment now stands at 10.3 percent.

Tanaiste Joan Burton says that means 95 thousand extra people are back at work:

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Ged Nash, spoke to Jonathan Healy on Lunchtime today about the figures.

He told Jonathan that: "I think the political system is still in a state of flux.

He asked: "Do they want to sacrifice the stability and progress that we have achieved for the type of uncertainty that the likes of Sinn Féin, the populace left and right wing leaning independents will bring to this country?"

On the issue of zero hour contracts, Mr Nash stated: "We are reviewing zero hour contracts, the first government of any description in this country that has taken an interest in this area.

"We have acknowledged it and we are going to do something about it.

"We want to move from welfare to work."