Vol. 395 No. 5
61 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare , in preparing the estimates of cost of welfare provisions, the figures for unemployment which were used in (a) 1990 and (b) 1989; if these figures include an estimate for emigration; and if so, the figure.
The average net live register figures underlying the unemployment estimates for (a) 1990 and (b) 1989 are 221,500 and 232,000, respectively. The actual average net live register in 1989 was 231,600.
Live register estimates are prepared by the Department of Finance and involve forecasts in relation to the level of employment, the size of the labour force, the level of emigration and other key economic variables. While it is understood that no specific figure is assumed for emigration in deriving the live register for 1990, the Deputy's attention is directed to the Financial Statement of the Minister for Finance on 31 January 1990 which stated that "a further decline in emigration is expected" in 1990.
