asked the Minister for Labour the number of part-time and full-time jobs created by the Youth Employment Agency since their inception; and the number of jobs created that are still in existence.

: The Youth Employment Agency were established in March 1982. Two hundred and nine employment places have been created by the agency since their inception. All are full time and 128 of them have been filled to date.

The agency in 1982 also provided additional funds to local authorities through the Department of the Environment for the full-time employment of young persons on environmental improvement works and to community and sporting organisations under the Temporary Youth Employment Scheme, then administered by the Department of Education, for the full-time employment of young people in work of value to the community. These funds were additional funds received by these bodies direct from subhead W of the Department of Labour Vote. It is estimated that approximately 1,500 and 500 young persons respectively were employed under the schemes in question as a result of these additional funds.

I should add that the above figures do not take account of the expansion of employment, training and work experience programmes for young persons which was met from levy funds and financed direct from subhead W of the Labour Vote.

: Could the Minister clarify the first figures he gave? Did he say the agency had created 209 jobs?

: The 209 full-time places, referred to in the reply, have been created as a result of funding projects from the Youth Employment Agency and are broken down as follows: NBST, 80 placements for graduates; Youth Enterprise (Shannon), 30 placements; National Co-Operative Farm Relief Services, 29 placements; Irish Productivity Centre, 50 placements; St. Michael's House, Goatstown, 20 placements.

: I am at a loss to understand what the Minister is getting at. Are these additional positions which have been created by the Youth Employment Agency or are they vacancies in these bodies which the Youth Employment Agency are assisting them to fill?

: The Youth Employment Agency are assisting these bodies to fill these placements.

: Are there no new jobs being created by the Youth Employment Agency?

: The Deputy asked what the full-time employment placements were. I have replied to his question; they were not made directly by the Youth Employment Agency.

: The Minister referred to 1,500 young people being employed in the course of the last nine months, from March 1982 to December 1982. Are those young people still in employment?

: I could not say with any certainty if they are still employed and I would not like to mislead the House by saying what number of them are still employed. They were employed under various schemes administered by the Department of Education and under a temporary youth employment scheme which had a time limit. I do not know if they are still working there or if they have moved on to full-time employment.

: The Minister appears to be just as confused about the Youth Employment Agency, their effectiveness and work as the general public——

: A question, please.

: Would the Minister clarify now, or in a statement to the House later, what the correct reply is to the question put down. How many full-time jobs have been created? How many part-time jobs have been created? Could he give specific information on the work of the Youth Employment Agency?

: I have answered that question. I understand that "full-time" means a job that involves a full working week.