asked the Taoiseach the percentage of insured persons on the live register of unemployed at the latest available date and at the same date in each of the past two years.

The percentage of insured persons on the live register at mid-November, 1972, was 7.9. The percentages at mid-November, 1971 and 1970 were 7.6 and 6.7 respectively.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that when we enter the EEC on 1st January next we will have the highest rate of unemployment of all the member states? Is the Parliamentary Secretary further aware that unemployment is becoming progressively worse? What do the Government intend to do about it?

That is a separate question.

It may be a separate question——

The question asked about the percentage of insured persons on the live register.

Yes, Sir, but surely we are entitled to ask the Government what they intend to do about the increase. It was increased in two years by over 1.2 per cent. What do the Government intend to do about it?

That is a separate question.

If it is, it is affecting almost 80,000 people at present.

The Deputy knows very well what the Government are doing in relation to the encouragement of industry. Unemployment figures and so on can be put down to the adverse effects of the Six Counties situation to a great degree and the Deputy should not underestimate that situation.

Surely to God what is supposed to be taking place in the North of Ireland cannot be blamed. Irish Ministers were known to have imported arms into this country to murder their fellow Irishmen.

This question relates to insured persons. I am calling Question No. 2.

The Government behaved like the government of a banana republic. What about the £40,000 missing——

We know where the latest revolution took place.

What about the £40,000 of taxpayers' money that has been misappropriated in buying arms and setting up the Provisional IRA and the Official IRA? There is no use in blaming the Northern situation for everything.

Order. This has nothing to do with the question.

Let us have the truth in this House and not mislead the people.

Let us have some order on the last day of the session.

If there is disorder in this country it is due to the fact that we have a Government that spent the taxpayers' money in setting up the Provisionals and bringing in arms to murder fellow Irishmen.

The Deputy is repeating himself. Question No. 2

These things should be put on the record of this House and let us not have the Parliamentary Secretary fooling us and telling us that all the ills are due to what is happening in Northern Ireland.

I did not stand up in the House to fool the Deputy.

Will the Deputy sit down and behave himself? Order.

He should have an LP record.

The Tánaiste was to do a big purge but he did not do it yet.

What happened to the £40,000 that has disappeared? If a county councillor misappropriated £40,000 he would be surcharged but a Government Minister was not surcharged over £40,000 of our money.

Let us have some order.