Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Taoiseach the numbers unemployed in both County Carlow and County Kilkenny; the way these figures have varied for each year since 1995 for unemployment numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20633/08]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Live Register figures for County Carlow and County Kilkenny for each month from 1995 to date are set out in the following table.

The Live Register series gives a monthly breakdown of the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance and other registrants as registered with the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Figures are published for each county and each Local Social Welfare Office. The most recent information is for April 2008.

Estimates of employment and unemployment rates are compiled, at a regional level, from the Quarterly National Household Survey. There are eight regions in the State; Border, Midland, West, Dublin, Mid-East, Mid-West, South-East and South-West. Sub-regional statistics, of the kind requested by the Deputy, are not available from the Quarterly National Household Survey. The latest results are for the period September to November 2007 and showed an unemployment figure of 11,700 persons in the South-East region.

It should be noted that:

(a) the Live Register is not a definitive measure of unemployment as it includes part-time workers, seasonal and casual workers entitled to Unemployment Assistance or Benefit. Statistics on unemployment are measured at regional level by the Quarterly National Household Survey.

(b) the exact area covered by each Local Office is not limited to the immediate locality of the particular office. For instance, in the Tallaght Local Office there may be registered, persons from the Blessington area.