The Social Protection Minister Joan Burton has said Ireland is now in "full recovery mode" after a dramatic drop in jobless numbers last week.

Ms Burton has revealed she informed the Cabinet earlier that 7,700 people left the Live Register last week alone.

Normally such weekly figures would not be made public, but Minister Burton decided to do so at a press conference this afternoon.

She said: "Ireland is now firmly in recovery mode. I have just got the figures for the Live Register this week, it's fallen by 7,700.

"That's a very good outcome, so really we are on the road slowly but surely."