asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state the total number of births in each of the counties of Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo, in each of the years 1921-1935.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Birth Statistics.
The following statement shows the number of births in each of certain counties in the year 1935: — Cavan, 1,368; Monaghan, 1,096; Donegal, 2,507; Clare, 1,621; Cork, 4,701; Cork County Borough, 1,915; Kerry, 2,438; Galway, 3,653; Leitrim, 800; Mayo, 2,863; Roscommon, 1,218; Sligo, 1,120.
I would refer the Deputy to the published reports of the Registrar General for similar particulars for the years 1921 to 1934.
In what particular reports of the Registrar General will we get the figures for each of the years 1921 to 1935?
The annual reports.
For each year?
Yes.
Is the Minister not prepared to facilitate Deputies seeking this information in respect of various counties? It involves a considerable amount of labour to go through each of 14 reports in order to get figures that are of considerable public interest at the present time in view of the fall in the average attendance at schools. If I repeat this question, will the Minister get this information collected in his Department for the information of Deputies?
When an annual report is published giving these figures in detail, it does not involve much trouble to anybody interested to go through them and pick out the figures.
Do I understand that the Minister is setting a precedent and that, when information for a certain number of years is asked for in a Parliamentary question and that information is contained in reports issued periodically by his Department, no assistance will be given to Deputies by supplying the information asked for?
I do not know whether I am setting up any precedent, but I think it is quite reasonable when a thing is published in an annual report to refer the Deputy to that annual report.
Does the Minister realise what that entails? Does he not realise that Parliamentary questions are asked day by day that involve getting information by way of Parliamentary answer in respect of more than one area, and are we now to understand that that particular type of answer is going to be discontinued in the future?
That is the answer I am giving to this question and I am going to stand by it.
Does the Minister finally say that he will not provide in tabular form the number of births in the various counties of the Free State from 1921 to 1935?
I will refer the Deputy to the annual report.