Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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111. To ask the Taoiseach the number of persons who have left the labour force in the past four quarters, and how this has affected unemployment rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39934/15]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is the official source of estimates of persons in the labour force and unemployment rates in the State.

The most recent figures available are for Q3 2015.

Table 1a shows the seasonally adjusted series of persons aged 15 years and over in the labour force and the unemployment rates (persons aged 15-74) in the quarters Q3 2014 to Q3 2015.

Table 1b shows the seasonally adjusted quarterly change in the number of persons aged 15 years and over in the labour force and the unemployment rates (persons aged 15-74) between Q4 2014 and Q3 2015.

The unemployment rate is calculated as the number of persons unemployed (aged 15 to 74) expressed as a percentage of the total labour force which is the sum of persons employed and unemployed (aged 15 to 74). The impact on the unemployment rate of persons leaving the labour force would therefore be dependent on whether those persons leaving were employed or unemployed and measures of flows are not currently produced by the CSO.

Table 1a Seasonally adjusted series of persons aged 15 years and over in the labour force and unemployment rate (persons aged 15-74), Q3 2014- Q3 2015

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.

Table 1b Seasonally adjusted series of persons aged 15 years and over in the labour force and unemployment rate (persons aged 15-74), Q4 2014 - Q3 2015 -Quarterly change

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.