Vol. 417 No. 6
65 Mr. Harte asked the Minister for the Environment the reason counties Donegal and Offaly have respectively the highest and second highest number of persons per room and percentage of persons in private households having more than two persons per room; and if he will outline whether this situation is longstanding or of recent development.
Factors which directly influence the number of persons per room include average family size, stage in the family cycle and average number of rooms per house. While the 1981 Census of Population indicated that Donegal was highest in the indicators referred to in the question, Offaly was second highest with regard to average persons per room but not so in regard to households with more than two persons per room. Neither county had the highest level in either indicator in 1971 or 1966. The results of the 1991 Census of Population will show a marked reduction in the extent of overcrowding in all areas.
