asked the Minister for Labour the number registered for work at Cavan National Manpower office; their age groups; and the jobs sought.

: The number of persons, including job changers, registered for work with the Cavan National Manpower Service Office at the end of February 1983 was 1,688. The more detailed information requested by the Deputy is in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

Job-seekers registered at Cavan NMS Office at the end of February, 1983 by age group

Occupational groups of job-seekers, which would correspond to the jobs being sought, were as follows:—

Managerial and Support Occupations, 2; Education, Arts, Health and Sports Occupations, 3; Engineering and Technology Professionals, 9; Production and Service Managers, 7; Clerical and related Occupations, 97; Selling Occupations, 51; Personal Service Occupations, 67; Farming, Fishing and related Occupations, 16; Processing, Making and Repairing Occupations, 35; Processing making and repairing Occupations (Metal and Electrical) 57; Construction and General Factory Operatives, 211; Transport and Storage Occupations, 67; Miscellaneous Occupations, 152; First-time job seekers, 484; Unclassified pending interview by NMS *, 430.

* The group "unclassified pending interview by the NMS" relates to persons under 25 years of age who are on the Live Register and have recently been included in the NMS job seekers register but have not yet been interviewed by the NMS.

: Could the Minister give me from the tabular statement the figures for the 18 to 21 group?

: It is better if it is going to be by tabular statement that it should be by tabular statement. I took the same view one day last week and I allowed one Deputy to ask some questions about the tabular statement. He finished up by saying: "Perhaps we were wrong but we have got some of the tabular statement out now and the Minister might read it all."

: With respect to the Chair and in obedience to the Chair, nevertheless since I came into the House the Chair has always permitted a question on one particular part of a tabular statement. The Chair could check his records in relation to this.

: Far be it for the Chair to seek to supress any information, more particularly about Cavan. I am only speaking about tabular statements in general.

: It might ease the Deputy's situation if I told him that the tabular statement deals only with under and over 25 years. It is on that basis that the statistics are compiled.

: Why is this so?

: It is long-established practice. I do not believe it would be possible to get more precise figures along the lines requested by the Deputy. Now that I know what is specifically in the Deputy's mind I would be glad to see if the information could be obtained.

: Is the Minister saying that Manpower offices throughout the country do not keep statistics of leaving certificate students, that they do not specifically keep statistics of the 18 to 21 years age group? Is that the position — that they are all lumped into the under-25 group?

: I am not saying that. Some of the information sought by the Deputy will be found in the leaving certificate census. The statistics sought by the Deputy on a regional basis are under or over 25 years. If it is possible to obtain more precise information I would be glad to do it for the Deputy. The table I propose to circulate will be in terms of male and female under or over the age of 25.

: Will the Minister give an assurance to the House that he will have a look at this, because many school leavers are in a parlous situation and would like to be given the facts? Would the Minister universalise it for the whole country in the 18 to 21 age group?

: Detailed statistics in regard to school leavers are published every year. If the Deputy has not got a copy of them we can furnish him with one.