asked the Taoiseach when he will request the Central Statistics Office to resume the work they were carrying out in supplying the unemployment figures on a monthly basis for each county; when the Government decision to cease providing this information was made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The Deputy is presumably referring to the Area of Residence Analysis of the Live Register which was prepared on a quarterly basis for previous years. Since January of this year that analysis has been replaced with a new monthly analysis based on area of registration. This change was one of those introduced following a general review of the set of live register analyses.

The new analysis gives totals of registrations in each county. It has many other advantages by comparison with the former analysis, such as (1) it is linked to the end-of-month count of the live register; (2) it has a monthly rather than a quarterly frequency; (3) details for each of the 129 local employment offices are published within ten working days of the reference date; and (4) separate details on persons under and over 25 years of age registering at each local office are published.

The new monthly analysis provides, therefore, a more frequent, comprehensive and timely geographical analysis of the live register than was hitherto available. A copy of the results for 29 September 1989, the latest date for which the figures are available, is in the Dáil Library.

Is the Minister of State satisfied that the comprehensive reply he has given is far more adequate than the original one? Are the general public being made aware, as frequently as they should, of the real unemployment figures for the counties I have mentioned in my question.

As I have indicated, the previous analysis was subject to many deficiencies. For example, many towns had expanded well beyond their original legal boundaries and in these cases the data, referring as they did to only part of the built up town area, were not particularly useful and not completely accurate. Secondly, it was also difficult for the staff in the local employment offices to accurately locate residents' addresses relative to the legal boundaries of the town. Notification of these changes has been made on a very frequent basis, dating back to November 1988. They are still being notified in the respective areas.

The information on each county is not up to date as people have informed me as regards the number of people out of work as against the number of those who have emigrated in the interim period.

Ceist, a Theachta.

Will the Minister of State ensure that the figure for those unemployed in these particular counties will be published on a monthly basis?

We have had that question before.

I can assure Deputy Farrelly that every consideration is frequently given to ensuring that the statistical information available is very much up to date and as accurate as possible. As I say, consideration is given to that very frequently and I can assure the Deputy that that will continue.