asked the Taoiseach the number of persons registered as unemployed in (a) Killarney, (b) Killorglin, (c) Kenmare, (d) Caherciveen and (e) Dingle employment exchange offices in County Kerry at the latest date for which figures are available and on the corresponding dates in 1981 and 1982.

, Dún Laoghaire): I propose to circulate a statement giving the information sought by the Deputy.

Following is the statement:

: Arising out of the Minister's reply——

: I do not want to interrupt the Deputy but I ask him to accept that when the reply is to be circulated we do not have supplementaries.

: I want to have one important point explained.

: There was chaos here over this point the other day.

: Would the Minister say exactly what the figures for Killarney are?

(Dún Laoghaire): At 25 February 1981 the figure was 670; at 25 February 1982 it was 800, and at 25 February 1983 it was 956.

2.

asked the Taoiseach the total number of persons, including farmers, signing at present for unemployment benefit and assistance.

(Dún Laoghaire): The number of persons on the live register on 25 February 1983 was 188,355. Of these 96,685 were classified to unemployment benefit and 85,242 to unemployment assistance. The remainder, 6,428, consisted mainly of persons registering in order to obtain credited social welfare contributions, other than those directly affected by an industrial dispute.

Not all persons signing at local employment offices are included on the live register. The information in respect of those registrants excluded from the live register on 25 February 1983 is as follows: (a) UA smallholders, 21,260; (b) Persons aged 65 years and over, 1,550; (c) Systematic short-time workers, 13,509 and (d) Applicants for credits due to a trade dispute, 201.

: I did not ask for the number on the live register. I wanted to know the total number who are actually signing. Can the Minister give me that?

: Is it much over 200,000?

(Dún Laoghaire): The information which was requested has been supplied.

: I am afraid the information requested has not been supplied. What I asked for was the total number of people who are actually signing for unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance, including smallholders and others.

(Dún Laoghaire): The question was:

To ask the Taoiseach the total numbers of persons including farmers signing at present for unemployment benefit and assistance.

: The Minister has given me the number on the live register. I want the total number of people who are actually signing. I have not got that information.

(Dún Laoghaire): The information supplied is as requested. The total number of persons on the live register on 25 February 1983 was 188,355. I went on to classify them for the second part of the question.

: A final supplementary, Deputy Daly.

: I want to know the total number of people who are signing. There is a fairly significant difference between the number of people who are actually signing and the number who are on the live register. I cannot get the information from the Minister.

: As has been often said, the Chair has no control over how questions are answered.