asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the changes made since 1977 in the compilation of the live register for the unemployed; and the figure which the live register would have been for the end of January 1981 had these changes not been made.

Since June 1977 the only change made in compiling the live register resulted in the exclusion, from January 1980, of persons on systematic short-time work and persons aged 65 years and over.

Adding these two categories of person to the live register for 30 January 1981 gives a total of 134,010. I should point out that figures for the number of persons on systematic short-time work are published as part of the normal monthly live register statement and that data on the number of applicants for unemployment benefit or assistance aged 65 years and over are available on request from the Central Statistics Office.

I am sure the House will be alarmed to hear that the figure is 134,000. What was the relevant figure on 5 July 1977?

I have not got it here.

Will the Minister believe me when I say that the figure is now at least 25,000 greater? Would he not agree that that is an appalling commentary on the performance of the Government?

I am glad to be of some help to the Deputy. I have not got the figure for 1977 but I have for 1975.

The Minister is very selective.

The peak for those on short-time work was 1975, when the total reached 9,939.

Seeing the Minister has quoted the 1975 figure, would he give me the highest figure in 1975 for the total number of unemployed on the live register?

I have given the figure for the question the Deputy asked first of all.

Will the Minister answer the question I asked? What was the highest figure for unemployment in the Republic during the world recession for 1975?

Will the Minister tell us the worst?

It is a separate question. If the Deputy puts down a question, it will be answered. The years 1975 and 1976 were the years the people ate locusts, because they were very bad years.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Will the Minister read the portion of the manifesto that was supposed to do away with all that?

The figure the Minister has given us is almost 20,000 higher than the highest figure in 1975. How much higher is the figure than the figure promised in the 1977 manifesto? Would the Minister agree that the manifesto committed the Government to achieving an unemployment figure of 40,000 and it is now almost 100,000 more than that?

The Deputy did not ask the question. By the time we have fulfilled the manifesto we will have it down to that figure.