asked the Taoiseach if he will state for each of the past five years the amounts, and the methods by which they have been computed, of emigrants' remittances received in the State from exiles working in the following countries while temporarily or permanently domiciled there: England, Scotland, U.S.A., Canada, West Germany and Soviet Russia.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emigrants' Remittances.
3.
The countries distinguished in the compilation of the figures of emigrants' remittances are Britain, the United States, Canada and the total of all other countries. I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving the estimated totals of remittances for these areas for the years 1956-60.
These figures for emigrants' remittances are compiled mainly from data collected by the commercial banks and the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. The banks record the sterling equivalent of drafts, foreign currency notes, telegraphic remittances, etc., cashed or lodged with them, which are believed to have been sent by persons resident outside the State to friends or relatives resident in Ireland for no consideration, e.g. as gifts, legacies, etc. Remittances received in payment for goods or other valuable consideration, where such is apparent or known, are not included. Foreign money orders and postal orders are omitted from the banks' figures and separate particulars in respect of these items are recorded by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. The total of all such money orders and postal orders received is included as emigrants' remittances. In addition to the figures compiled by the banks and the Department of Posts and Telegraphs a conjectural estimate of the amount of emigrants' remittances sent in the form of sterling notes through the post is also included.
Following is the statement:—
ESTIMATED receipts of emigrants' remittances from various countries, 1956-60.
|
Country |
1956 |
1957 |
1958 |
1959 |
1960 |
|
£million |
|||||
|
Britain and the Six Counties |
5.8 |
5.7 |
5.6 |
5.6 |
5.9 |
|
U.S.A. |
4.9 |
5.8 |
6.0 |
6.2 |
6.8 |
|
Canada |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
|
Other countries |
0.7 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
|
TOTAL |
11.6 |
12.3 |
12.3 |
12.5 |
13.3 |
I asked the Taoiseach to state the amount. The Parliamentary Secretary has started a series of equivocations.
The Deputy is being supplied with the amounts in the form of a tabular statement.
One would think we were in Russia, behind the Iron Curtain.
The Deputy is being supplied with the amounts in the form of a tabular statement.
May I inquire, as a matter of interest, would it be considered practicable, or perhaps the Central Statistics Office might consider it desirable, to include in those estimates the dollar bill receipts, at least for a period of six weeks before Christmas, which go into the branch banks and which must be very considerable, as coming in as gifts to Irish people during that six weeks?
The banks do record these receipts wherever they can identify them as gifts.
Is it a fact that if an emigrant sends home money by post at Christmas or in the summer, that money comes under the title of emigrants' remittances but, if that emigrant comes home for a fortnight's holiday at Christmas or in the summer, the money he spends in Ireland is looked upon as money that comes under the heading of tourism?
It is obviously not an emigrant's remittance.
Of course, it is.