Proinsias De Rossa
Ceist:4 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach the progress, if any, which has been made by the Central Statistics Office in regard to the publication of data compiled at the 1991 census.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - 1991 Census of Population.
Provisional results of the 1991 Census of Population were published in three preliminary reports last year.
The publication of the definitive results is proceeding on a county by county basis at present in a series of local population reports. Reports for Counties Carlow, Laoighis, Longford, Kildare, Louth and Wicklow have been published to date. A further seven reports, including those for Dublin County and County Borough, are planned for publication before the end of the year. These local population reports contain population details classified by age, sex, marital status and family situation at the level of DEDs and towns.
It is expected that the final census figures at DED level for the State will be available before the end of the first quarter of 1993. The remaining results will be published on a systematic basis thereafter.
Again, the purpose of my question is to elicit, late in the day, a response from the Government. A commitment was given in the Joint Programme for Government that an independent boundaries commission would be established as soon as the final figures were made available. In June of this year I was told in a reply to a question I had tabled that these figures would be available by the end of this year, but I am now told that we will not have them before the end of the first quarter of next year. Can the Minister of State outline the reason for the delay? There has been an inordinate delay of 18 months so far and it is extraordinary that the Central Statistics Office do not appear to be able to complete their work. This census was taken in 1991.
The reason for the delay is that the enumeration summaries, listings and maps covering approximately one million dwellings have to be examined in detail and thoroughly checked for consistency and completeness. This is time consuming. Resources are limited and there is a limited number of people available to do the work which, unfortunately, is taking longer than expected. The Deputy is quite right that in response to his question in June we said the figures would be available before the end of this year, and I am assured they will be ready before the first quarter of 1993. I am also informed that there is not an inordinate delay and that the figures are being produced quicker than was the case after previous censuses.
We are in a kind of Disneyland in asking these questions because we do not know whether the Government will be in office in three or four weeks' time.
The Deputy can be sure they will not be in office.
In relation to the promised boundary commission whose work will be based on the outcome of these statistics, will the Minister indicate whether or not it is intended to deal with Euro constituencies as well as Dáil constituencies?
That is a separate question.
It is a separate question and it is not within my area of competence to deal with it. I can assure the Deputy that any commitments given by this Government will be honoured by the Fianna Fáil Government who are returned after the next election.