Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 137: To ask the Taoiseach the workers' remittances into and out of here for each of the past five years by intra-European and extra-European remittances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8601/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by Deputy Burton is presented in the table below.

The table shows estimates of the total quantity of workers' remittance outflows and inflows by EU 27 and non-EU27 countries, for the years 2004 to 2008 and the most recently available period, namely, January-September 2009.

* January-September 2009

The figures contained in the reply are obtained from the CSO Balance of Payments (BOP) quarterly statistical release. Workers' remittances are included in the 'Current Transfers' of the BOP Current Account.

Workers' remittances are defined as "current transfersby migrants who are employed in new economies andconsidered residents there". (A migrant is a person whocomes to an economy and stays, or is expected to stay,for a year or more.)

Due to their nature workers' remittances are a challenge to measure. These figures are derived from a variety of sources and should be treated as tentative estimates subject to revision as more data sources become available and the estimation model strengthens.

Workers' remittances do not include payments of Child Benefit and Early childcare Supplement to non-resident families of EU workers in Ireland. These amounted to €25m in 2008.