asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of individuals who are signing in the Unemployment Exchanges at Gorey, Enniscorthy, New Ross and Wexford; also if he will obtain the views of the managers in those areas as to their estimate of the full number of people unemployed.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - UNEMPLOYMENT IN WEXFORD.
The numbers of persons who, on the 14th instant, were registered as unemployed at the local offices of the Department in Gorey, Enniscorthy, New Ross and Wexford, respectively, were 51, 158, 56 and 464.
The local officers of the Department have no means, short of a house-to-house visitation in their districts, of estimating how many persons, if any, are out of work but not registered as unemployed. Even if such a visitation were practicable, the information given could not be accepted without careful check. An estimate by the local officers such as is suggested in the question would, at the best, be mere guess-work, in which I am not disposed to encourage them to engage.