Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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26. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection how many persons who do not qualify for a social protection payment are currently signing on for credits at their local social protection office; if these persons are excluded from official reckoning of unemployment; if so, why; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1196/16]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As of 1 January 2016 there were 32,770 people signing for jobseeker’s credits at my Department’s offices. These people are not excluded from, but are in fact included in the overall figure of 321,616 persons on the Live Register on that date, as published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. The Quarterly National Household Survey is the source of the official measure of unemployment and is the responsibility of the CSO which is under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach.