asked the Taoiseach the total number of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit and assistance, including smallholders, at 27th March, 1976.
2.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Statistics.
1.
asked the Taoiseach the total number of persons registered at employment offices, including smallholders, at 27th March, 1976.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The total number of persons registered at employment offices on 26th March was 147,464. Of this total the number in receipt of unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance was 130,860. These figures include smallholders.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the figures on the live register issued each week are completely misleading and do not give the total number registered at employment offices?
The main difference between the live register and the figures I have just given is that the live register does not include smallholders and has not done so for very many years.
Does the figure include the number of school leavers?
It includes any who have registered.
Are they included in the figure of 140,000?
Some of them are.
In view of the fact that Manpower are filling vacancies from those registered in the employment offices would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that the figure of the girls who cannot receive benefit should be included in that as well?
That is a separate question.
Members may not enter into an area of policy.
I want to start on the right foot. Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that female school leavers cannot get jobs through Manpower unless they are on the register in the local employment exchange?
I ought not to answer questions about Manpower because I do not know the answer but I will find out for the Deputy if he has no other way of getting the information.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that next June when this year's school leavers are added to those of last year the figure will be somewhere in the region of 200,000?
No, I will not agree to any such supposition. These figures are assumed by Opposition Deputies every time the subject comes up. The total figure for school leavers was given some weeks ago by the Minister for Education in reply to a question and in all categories right up to university and third level education the total was a little over 50,000.
That brings the figure to 180,000 then and in addition——
There have been school leavers for as long as there have been schools.
There used to be jobs for them.
In the year before Fianna Fáil left office there were 80,000 unemployed and there were also school leavers.
Question No. 3.
Is it not true to say——
I have called the next question. We cannot have a debate on this.
It is just a final supplementary. Is it not true to say the figure of 200,000 I mentioned is the correct figure when one adds this year's school leavers?
The Deputy is repeating.
It is not true.
And the sooner the Parliamentary Secretary tells his Government it is the correct figure——
The Deputy would wish it was the correct figure, but it is not.