asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state the number registered as unemployed in Dublin City and Dún Laoire at the latest available date, and at the corresponding date last year.

Registered unemployed in Dublin City and Dún Laoire on the 16th March, 1957, the latest date for which the information is available, numbered 19,349 and 1,207 respectively. On the corresponding date last year they numbered 13,855 and 822 respectively.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary indicate why more recent figures cannot be made available?

The latest date for which this information is available is the 16th March, the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. It is fairly recent.