asked the Minister for Labour if figures, or estimates of figures, are available in his Department for man-days lost due to industrial disputes for the months of January, February, March and April 1978.

The Central Statistics Office is the official agency responsible for the compilation and publication of statistics including dispute statistics. As the Deputy is aware from the Taoiseach's reply to a parliamentary question on 2 May, statistics are not available in that office concerning industrial disputes which occurred in the first months of 1978.

My Department estimates, however, that approximately 194,000 man-days were lost during the period 1 January30 April 1978. Of this figure an estimated 141,000 man-days were attributable to the Aer Lingus and telecommunications disputes.

Would the Minister accept that if that rate of loss continues it would represent a 50 per cent increase on last year's loss?

No, that would not be the position at all; the opposite applied for the first three months of this year—there was a reduction in the number of man-days lost.

Is it not a fact that last year there were 400,000 man-days lost in 12 months? The Minister told the House that almost 200,000 man-days were lost in four months. Surely three times two is six. Six hundred thousand is 50 per cent higher than 400,000. Will the Minister accept that? What will the Minister do about stopping that trend?

The number of man days lost at the end of April last year was 150,000, the number of strikes in the first quarter of 1977 was 83 and the number of strikes in the first quarter of 1978 was 39.

Surely the Minister will be aware that it is the length of the strikes that damages the economy?

Question No. 16. The Deputy is leading on to debate. I must put a stop to this now.

The Chair will appreciate that I have the duty to get the Minister to do his job.

I appreciate that. I have been very lenient with the Deputy and will continue to be lenient as long as he is in order.