asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider the erection of an employment exchange in Ballyfermot, Dublin.

While I am concerned to provide improved employment exchange and other local offices of my Department throughout the country, the Deputy will, I am sure, appreciate that this must necessarily be a somewhat long term project. In the meantime, however, I am giving special consideration to the needs of outlying suburban areas in Dublin and, naturally, Ballyfermot will be considered in that context.

In view of the fact that there are no figures obtainable from the Government or the Central Statistics Office in relation to the number of unemployed in Ballyfermot and as the highest rate of unemployment in the country is in that area, far higher than the national average, would the Parliamentary Secretary consider opening a temporary employment exchange in one of the centres in Ballyfermot for approximately a month in order to find out what is the problem? If this were done organisations who are endeavouring to rectify the situation would have realistic figures to work on.

The information I have is that approximately 1,300 men are signing on at Werburgh Street and approximately 380 women are signing at Victoria Street. These figures relate to people from the Ballyfermot area.

I tried to obtain, as did members of the association in Ballyfermot, the unemployed figures for the Ballyfermot area because of an ongoing development in the area in relation to obtaining jobs but we were unable to get the figures. Will the Parliamentary Secretary consider opening a temporary office in Ballyfermot for a period of one month in order to get realistic figures?

I have given the Deputy the figures in relation to people resident in the Ballyfermot area.

It includes only people signing on at the exchange. It does not include school leavers who are not signing on.

The Deputy's question referred to the provision of an employment exchange. That would affect only the people signing on.