asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of (1) men, and (2) women who have left this country to take up employment abroad during the years 1947 and 1948.

In the year 1947 the number of new travel permits and passports granted to men to go abroad to take up employment was 12,511 and to women 18,727. In the year 1948, the number of new travel identity cards and passports granted to men to go abroad to take up employment or permanent residence was 21,722 and to women 18,353.

The numbers shown must not be taken as representing net emigration (or the excess of the number of emigrants over the number of immigrants). The numbers of immigrants, while not exactly ascertainable, are known to be considerable during the periods indicated.

In view of the alarming increase in emigration that these figures must necessarily show, and in view of the fact that members of the Government accused the former Government of permitting our labour exchanges to be used as recruiting offices for emigration, does the Minister propose to take any steps concerning the representatives of foreign concerns who are now recruiting in the country for labour?

That is a separate question.

That is a separate question; the Deputy did not ask that.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of (i) men and (ii) women who emigrated in 1948 to (a) United States of America; (b) England, and (c) other countries.

The exact particulars which the Deputy requires are not available in my Department. The following figures are, however, furnished:—

The number of new passports and travel identity cards issued cannot be taken as the measure of permanent migration to employment abroad, since no account is taken of returning workers and not all persons granted passports or identity cards may have actually gone to employment.