asked the Taoiseach whether it is intended to include an enumeration of the total number of Irish speakers in (a) the Gaeltacht areas and (b) the country as a whole in the next census of population.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Enumeration of Irish Speakers.
5.
The content of the schedule to be used at the next census of population is at present under consideration, and no decision has yet been reached as to whether or not questions on knowledge or use of the Irish language will be included.
6.
asked the Taoiseach if he is in a position to give an estimate of the number of Irish-speaking persons in (a) the Fíor-Ghaeltacht and (b) the Breac-Ghaeltacht areas in 1936, 1946, 1956 and at the most recent convenient date by reference to reports received by the Department of the Gaeltacht, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice.
Comprehensive statistics of Irish speakers are available only from Census of Population sources and relate to the Gaeltacht areas as defined by Coimisiún na Gaeltachta 1925. At the 1936 Census the numbers of persons (excluding children under 3 years of age) returned as Irish speakers were 123,125 in the Fíor-Ghaeltacht and 115,213 in the Breac-Ghaeltacht. At the 1946 Census the corresponding numbers were 104,941 and 88,022 respectively. Although an inquiry into the knowledge and use of the Irish language was carried out in Gaeltacht areas in conjunction with the 1956 Census, the results, for reasons stated in my reply of 22 July, 1959, to a question by Deputy Lynch, were not considered to be sufficiently reliable to merit publication. No more recent reports on the numbers of Irish speaking persons in Gaeltacht areas are available from any other source.
An abróaidh an Rúnaí Pairliminte ar dhein Roinn na Gaeltachta aon fhiosrúcháin ó shoin féachaint cad a bhí bun os cionn leis na figiúirí a fuarthas nuair a tógadh an cúntas úd?
Ní fhéadfainn á rá ar dhein nó nár dhein Roinn na Gaeltachta aon fhiosrúcháin ó shoin. An t-am a fuarthas na figiúirí ceapadh nach rabhadar ion-ghlachtha agus nár cheart iad d'fhoilsiú.
Fuarthas figiúirí an uair sin agus annsan cuireadh fiosrúcháin ar siúl ar son na Roinne Oideachais. Ní mar a chéile an cúntas a bhí ar an dá thaobh. Ar deineadh aon mhactnamh ó shoin ar na figiúirí a fuarthas?
Níorbh fhéidir liom an cheist a fhreagairt gan fógra. Ceist a bhaineann le hAire na Gaeltachta í.