asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the number of new jobs created in Dungarvan and the general west Waterford area in the past five years; and the number of job losses during the same period.

I am informed by the Industrial Development Authority that in the period January 1977 to December 1981, 735 new jobs were created in manufacturing industry in the west Waterford area. During the same period 349 jobs were lost.

Those figures are fictitious. What is the source of the figures the Minister has given the House?

They are from the IDA job survey.

I suppose the IDA felt they had to give figures which would show them in a good light. Is the Minister aware that the recent census showed that there has not been any rise in population in west Waterford? In fact there has been a slight drop in the past four to five years while the unemployment figures have actually doubled during the same period. How can the Minister explain the fact that the population has not risen and unemployment has doubled while the IDA contrive to give figures to show that the jobs created have exceeded those lost by more than 400?

I have told the Deputy that the figures I have here were supplied to me from the internal planning section of the IDA but the Deputy seems to think that those figures are totally inaccurate. If he wishes to provide me with his figures, figures which he says are more acurate than the ones available to me, I shall be only too glad to take up the matter, have the situation analysed personally and in turn to pass on the results of that analysis to him.

I should be delighted if the Minister would do that because the figures are available in the Official Report as a result of a question that was tabled last week in relation to unemployment. We also have the national census as a source of information. I consider the figures that have been fed to the Minister to be totally wrong and that is why I should like him to investigate the matter further.

For the record I should like to add that apparently Deputy Deasy is disagreeing with the new jobs that have been created. The census figures will not show the jobs created so it is in that area that I would like the Deputy to pass on the information to me also.

7.