asked the Taoiseach the number of persons employed in the motor assembly industry in Ireland.

, Dún Laoghaire): The number of persons engaged in the manufacture and assembly of motor vehicles, including parts, was estimated as 5,300 in mid-September 1982, the latest date for which information is available.

: Is the Taoiseach aware that Protocol 7 of the Treaty of Accession to the EEC allows for the continuation of the assembly industry only until 1984?

: Deputy Mac Giolla will appreciate that his question is purely statistical and that questions of policy or other extraneous matters which could be for another Minister do not arise.

: I ask you to understand that the question has been put down to the Taoiseach as a statistician and my supplementary question is addressed to the Taoiseach as Leader of the Government. I am asking if he is aware that the 5,000——

: It is long-standing practice here that statistical questions addressed to the Taoiseach are taken by his Minister of State and are answered by giving purely factual information and do not form a forum for questions on policy.

: Is the Minister of State aware that those 3,500 jobs will not exist next year? What does he propose to do about it?

: That is another question and he would not necessarily know about it. Question No. 4.