asked the Taoiseach if he is satisfied that the figures obtained during each June census and published by the Central Statistics Office give a close and realistic estimate of the Republic's annual turkey production; if he will state the official figure of turkey production in the Republic for each of the years 1960 to 1963 inclusive; and what percentage of the households in the Republic in 1962 and 1963 purchased a turkey during the Christmas season.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turkey Production.
2.
The Central Statistics Office publishes enumerations of turkeys in January and in June and an estimate of the output—or production —of turkeys in respect of each year. The enumerations serve as bases for the estimates of annual output. I am satisfied that these estimates are realistic.
The official figures for the output of turkeys in the State in the years 1960 to 1962 are, respectively, 821,000, 790,000 and 676,000. The preliminary figure for 1963 is 585,000.
Information is not available concerning the percentage of households in the State which purchased a turkey during the 1962 and 1963 Christmas seasons.