asked the Minister for Finance if the Government have any specific proposals to reduce the number of unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I would refer the Deputy to the Government's national plan Building on Reality, 1985-1987 which contains the policies and measures necessary to secure over the plan period the maximum sustainable increases in employment with consequent reductions in unemployment.

In addition the plan announced the introduction of two new special employment schemes: the social employment scheme, details of which were announced at the end of last week and the alternance scheme. Both of these augment the many existing special employment measures such as the enterprise allowance scheme.