asked the Taoiseach the unemployment figures for the following towns in south-west County Cork (1) Bandon, (2) Clonakilty, (3) Skibbereen, (4) Dunmanway, (5) Bantry and (6) Castletownbere at 31 March for the years 1985 to 1988, inclusive.

I propose to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving the information sought by the Deputy.

Following is the statement:

Number of persons on the live register at each local employment office in South-West Cork at the end of March 1985 to 1988.

May I ask the Minister of State if the figures are on the increase or the decrease?

I shall be circulating the information, but Deputy Sheehan will be very pleased to hear that the figures are on the decrease. They are actually falling in the areas referred to in his question.

Would the Minister agree that the reason for the decrease is the higher emigration figures from those towns?

You cannot have it both ways, Paddy.

Has he taken into consideration the number of people who have emigrated to San Francisco, New York, Boston, London and Liverpool?

There will be nobody left.

The Deputy should await the report of the statistics involved.

They left when the Bantry package was kicked out.