asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the number of people in each of the years 1930 and 1931 recorded for statistical purposes as immigrants into and emigrants out of the Saorstát from and to countries outside Europe; if for the same years he will state the total number of aliens landed and embarked at Saorstát ocean ports; and if, taking the average of the last five years, he can give an estimate (a) of the number of those who annually "emigrate" from the Saorstát to Great Britain and (b) of the number of migratory workers who go annually from the Saorstát to Great Britain to insurable employment, to agriculture, to other employment, and of the average duration of such employment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Statistics of Emigration and Immigration.
Immigrants and emigrants are, for statistical purposes, defined as persons whose period of residence prior to migration was a year or more in the country and whose intention is to reside for a year or more in the country to which they migrate. The numbers of immigrants into Saorstát Eireann from countries outside Europe and not within the Mediterranean Sea were 3,295 in the year 1930 and 4,102 in the year 1931. The corresponding numbers of emigrants were 16,202 in the year 1930 and 1,557 in the year 1931. The numbers of aliens landed at Saorstát ocean ports were 9,848 in 1930 and 9,108 in 1931. The numbers of aliens embarked were 8,433 in 1930 and 6,329 in 1931. Precise information in reference to emigration to Great Britain is not available. The net efflux of passengers from Saorstát Eireann in the five years 1927 to 1931, excluding the extra European migrants already mentioned, is estimated not to have exceeded 3,000 per annum. It has been estimated that in past years the average number of migratory labourers going to Great Britain to insurable employment was about 14,300 and to non-insurable employment of various kinds about 10,725, but the information necessary for more precise particulars at the present time would take a considerable time to obtain.