John V. Farrelly
Ceist:7 Mr. Farrelly asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the number of people registered as unemployed in County Meath in each of the past 24 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Statistics.
Gerry Reynolds
Ceist:10 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the number of people registered as unemployed in County Leitrim for each of the past 18 months, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 10 together.
The information requested by the Deputies is contained in a statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.
Following is the statement.
Table 1
Number of persons on the live register in each employment exchange in County Meath on the last Friday of April 1990 to March 1992:
|
Last Friday of |
Kells |
Navan |
Trim |
Total County Meath |
|
April 1990 |
612 |
1,678 |
772 |
3,062 |
|
May 1990 |
614 |
1,659 |
774 |
3,047 |
|
June 1990 |
649 |
1,729 |
833 |
3,211 |
|
July 1990 |
684 |
1,780 |
866 |
3,330 |
|
August 1990 |
699 |
1,855 |
883 |
3,437 |
|
September 1990 |
675 |
1,777 |
844 |
3,296 |
|
October 1990 |
694 |
1,779 |
837 |
3,310 |
|
November 1990 |
711 |
1,818 |
837 |
3,366 |
|
December 1990 |
786 |
1,912 |
900 |
3,598 |
|
January 1991 |
833 |
1,977 |
951 |
3,761 |
|
February 1991 |
808 |
2,028 |
963 |
3,799 |
|
March 1991 |
796 |
2,076 |
975 |
3,847 |
|
April 1991 |
845 |
2,027 |
957 |
3,829 |
|
May 1991 |
781 |
1,988 |
950 |
3,719 |
|
June 1991 |
851 |
2,064 |
1,009 |
3,924 |
|
July 1991 |
890 |
2,172 |
1,030 |
4,092 |
|
August 1991 |
887 |
2,213 |
1,046 |
4,146 |
|
September 1991 |
873 |
2,130 |
1,043 |
4,046 |
|
October 1991 |
860 |
2,105 |
1,007 |
3,972 |
|
November 1991 |
880 |
2,132 |
1,056 |
4,068 |
|
December 1991 |
906 |
2,224 |
1,110 |
4,240 |
|
January 1992 |
940 |
2,287 |
1,128 |
4,355 |
|
February 1992 |
968 |
2,265 |
1,123 |
4,356 |
|
March 1992 |
942 |
2,255 |
1,124 |
4,321 |
Table 2
Number of persons on the live register in each employment exchange in County Leitrim on the last Friday of October 1990 to March 1992.
|
Last Friday of |
Carrick-on-Shannon |
Manor-hamilton |
Total County Leitrim |
|
October 1990 |
956 |
385 |
1,341 |
|
November 1990 |
973 |
398 |
1,371 |
|
December 1990 |
999 |
449 |
1,448 |
|
January 1991 |
1,027 |
469 |
1,496 |
|
February 1991 |
1,039 |
469 |
1,508 |
|
March 1991 |
1,040 |
462 |
1,502 |
|
April 1991 |
1,000 |
448 |
1,448 |
|
May 1991 |
994 |
462 |
1,456 |
|
June 1991 |
1,080 |
506 |
1,586 |
|
July 1991 |
1,135 |
527 |
1,662 |
|
August 1991 |
1,236 |
540 |
1,776 |
|
September 1991 |
1,172 |
531 |
1,703 |
|
October 1991 |
1,139 |
503 |
1,642 |
|
November 1991 |
1,150 |
509 |
1,659 |
|
December 1991 |
1,177 |
550 |
1,727 |
|
January 1992 |
1,238 |
566 |
1,804 |
|
February 1992 |
1,234 |
545 |
1,779 |
|
March 1992 |
1,238 |
541 |
1,779 |
Mr. Farrelly rose.
No. 7 is essentially a statistical question.
We did not get an answer to the question. I asked for figures and I would like to ask a supplementary question on them.
I am not responsible for the replies of Ministers or Ministers of State. I merely wish to advise the Deputy that matters of substance must not arise from what is essentially a statistical question.
I would like to ask——
The same applies to Deputy Reynolds.
I did not hear the Minister's reply.
There was some slight commotion and I would ask that the questions be replied to again.
My reply was:
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 10 together.
The information requested by the Deputies is contained in a statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.
What is the exact number of registered unemployed as at 27 March 1992 in the towns of Navan, Trim and Kells, and what percentage of the total unemployed in the county does that figure represent?
Strictly speaking, the Deputy should await the submission of the tabular statement before he asks further questions.
Surely the Minister knows the number of unemployed in his own constituency.
For now I am concerned about an attempt to circumvent the Chair in this matter.
On a point of information, a Cheann Comhairle——
Could I——
I call Deputy Reynolds.
I am not very familiar with procedure in the House, but we as Deputies have tabled serious questions seeking information within the realm of the Department of the Taoiseach and the Minister is not coming into the House to answer those questions. In all fairness, we should be given a direct answer to those questions rather than be fobbed off.
What are the numbers?
The Minister of State is at liberty to reply but I must advise again that it is quite common practice to reply in the form of a tabular statement——
It should not be allowed.
——and matters of policy simply do not arise at this stage.
But we are trying to elicit information in the House.
I should appreciate it if the Minister would inform me of the total number of unemployed in the county, apart from the tabular statement that will be circulated later.
As you said, a Cheann Comhairle, it has been the custom to provide statistical answers in tabular form in the Official Report. However, if Deputies cannot wait for that but want the information here and now, subject to your ruling, I have no objection to giving it to them. I should have no problem with that, if Deputies want to stay on this question all afternoon.
As I have already stated, it is usually the procedure that Deputies await the submission of the tabular statement.
I have a final supplementary question on a procedural matter. Another Fine Gael Deputy tabled such questions in the House about two weeks ago. At that time the Minister provided the information required, so I cannot understand——
Deputy Reynolds, I have no control over Ministers' replies.
So far as procedure is concerned, I do not understand why there should be any difference.
To facilitate Deputies, because Fine Gael Deputies are tabling these questions week after week and seem to be anxious to get the answers, and to ensure that they have the information relevant to their own counties from now on, I shall arrange to circulate the information for each county. That will save Deputies from having to wait for the Official Report.