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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 29 Jun 1993

Vol. 433 No. 1

Written Answers. - Numbers of Irish Speakers.

Enda Kenny

Question:

103 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Taoiseach the estimated number of Irish speakers in each county with an official Gaeltacht; the estimated number of non-Irish speakers in each county; and if he will give these figures as a percentage of each county's population.

Enda Kenny

Question:

104 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Taoiseach the estimated number of Irish speakers, that is, those who can speak Irish and English, in the general population; if he considers the present position to be an improvement on the census of 1986, volume 5, report on the Irish Language; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 104 together.

The most recent data available on the number of Irish speakers is from the 1986 Census of Population. Corresponding information from the 1991 Census will not be available until the end of the year.

The following table provides information from the 1981 and 1986 Censuses on the numbers and percentages of Irish speakers aged 3 years and over in each county and for the State as a whole distinguishing counties with an official Gaeltacht area and those without. It may be noted from the table that between 1981 and 1986 the number of Irish speakers aged 3 years and over increased by 24,288 — from 1,018,413 to 1,042,701 but showed a slight decline from 31.6 per cent to 31.1 per cent when expressed as a percentage of the total relevant population.

Number and percentage of Irish speakers, 3 years of age and over, in each Province, County or County Borough, 1981-1986.

Province, County or County Borough

Irish speakers

Non-Irish speakers

Irish speakers as a percentage of total

1981

1986

1981

1986

1981

1986

Total

1,018,413

1,042,701

2,208,054

2,310,931

31.6

31.1

Leinster

473,225

480,227

1,202,292

1,274,353

28.2

27.4

Carlow

9,724

10,548

27,318

28,158

26.3

27.3

Dublin County and County Borough

268,243

259,688

674,168

711,226

28.5

26.7

Dublin County Borough

134,814

116,501

367,548

366,235

26.8

24.1

Dublin—Belgard

50,108

135,456

27.0

Dublin—Fingal

39,227

89,944

30.4

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown

53,852

119,591

31.0

Kildare

28,527

33,520

67,566

75,444

29.7

30.8

Kilkenny

19,937

21,470

46,328

47,769

30.1

31.0

Laoighis

14,865

16,014

32,977

34,103

31.1

32.0

Longford

8,539

9,010

20,566

20,772

29.3

30.3

Louth

20,953

21,920

61,569

64,797

25.4

25.3

*Meath

25,470

27,734

62,915

69,946

28.8

28.4

Offaly

15,556

15,809

38,894

40,690

28.6

28.0

Westmeath

18,462

18,693

39,108

41,150

32.1

31.2

Wexford

22,903

24,105

69,560

72,847

24.8

24.9

Wicklow

20,046

21,716

61,323

67,451

24.6

24.4

Munster

323,704

337,043

612,526

630,434

34.6

34.8

Clare

31,318

33,593

50,649

52,825

38.2

38.9

Cork County and County Borough

128,290

134,278

249,435

257,215

34.0

34.3

Cork County Borough

42,917

41,785

86,199

85,632

33.2

32.8

*Cork

85,373

92,493

163,236

171,583

34.3

35.0

*Kerry

43,459

44,777

72,037

73,051

37.6

38.0

Limerick County and County Borough

51,855

53,027

99,559

102,869

34.2

34.0

Limerick County Borough

17,758

15,856

39,445

37,902

31.0

29.5

Limerick

34,097

37,171

60,114

64,967

36.2

36.4

Tipperary NR

19,202

20,087

36,109

36,378

34.7

35.6

Tipperary SR

23.001

23,261

48,500

49,678

32.2

31.9

Waterford County and County Borough

26,579

28,020

56,237

58,418

32.1

32.4

Waterford County Borough

10,575

10,560

25,452

26,950

29.4

28.2

*Waterford

16,004

17,460

30,785

31,468

34.2

35.7

Connacht

155,134

158,386

244,264

250,474

38.8

38.7

*Galway County and County Borough

71,346

73,658

90,012

95,550

44.2

43.5

*Galway County Borough

18,462

26,267

41.3

*Galway

55,196

69,283

44.3

Leitrim

7,756

7,887

18,378

17,818

29.7

30.7

*Mayo

41,133

41,693

66,980

67,283

38.0

38.3

Roscommon

17,814

17,787

33,682

34,071

34.6

34.3

Sligo

17,085

17,361

35,212

35,752

32.7

32.7

Ulster (part of)

66,350

67,045

148,972

155,670

30.8

30.1

Cavan

13,206

12,775

37,395

38,230

26.1

25.0

*Donegal

40,648

40,928

76,323

81,448

34.8

33.4

Monaghan

12,496

13,342

35,254

35,992

26.2

27.0

*Counties with an official Gaeltacht area.
—Comparable figures not available due to boundary changes.
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