asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason people receiving unemployment assistance are being asked if they are available for employment; the number of people so asked to date in 1983; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

It is a condition for the receipt of unemployment assistance that the applicant is available for and genuinely seeking work. Persons receiving unemployment assistance are interviewed periodically about their availability for employment for the purpose of confirming that they continue to satisfy this condition.

This has always been the practice and this year up to the end of October some 3,800 unemployment assistance recipients were interviewed. Of these about 160 had their entitlement to payment disallowed on the grounds that they were not available for employment or were not making genuine efforts to obtain work and a further 210 approximately ceased to claim unemployment assistance.