asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make representations to the British Government to have Irish origin included in the proposed question relating to ethnic origin in the 1991 census of population.
Written Answers. - British Census of Population.
44.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 44 together.
I am aware that a recent British White Paper on the 1991 Census contains a proposal to include, in addition to the usual question on country of birth, a question on ethnic origin. No decision as yet has been made by the British authorities as to whether such a question would be acceptable to the public or useful in terms of the information collected, or whether it would be feasible to expand the original list of suggested ethnic categories to include an Irish one.
Our embassy in London is in close contact with the Federation of Irish Societies and with other Irish groups on this issue.
The question of any representations on our part to the British Government will be decided in due course in the light of all the circumstances, including the attitude of representative Irish groups in Britain.