asked the President, with reference to his statement in the Dáil on May 3rd, that the Minister for Industry and Commerce had created a branch for statistics of imports and exports, whether he will consider the advisability of following the practice of many foreign States, including the British Dominions, by setting up a central statistical department, so as to ensure uniformity, correlation, and greater utility in the collection and preparation of statistical information.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ ORAL ANSWERS. ] - STATISTICS OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.
As at present advised I am not prepared to create a special department for Government statistics. The Government is, however, fully alive to the advantages to be secured by the concentration of statistical work, and it has been arranged that the Statistical Branch of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce will compile the statistics relating to agriculture in addition to the statistics relating to industry and commerce. The extension of the activities of the Branch to other Governmental statistics is under consideration.