Vol. 492 No. 4
3 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Taoiseach when social welfare offices will return data to the Central Statistics Office for the compilation of the age by duration count of the live register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14459/98]
The half-yearly age by duration analysis of the live register for April 1998 will be published tomorrow at noon by the Central Statistics Office. The analysis will be based on returns made by each social welfare office to the Central Statistics Office during May.
Will the statistics include data from the contract-based social welfare offices which were not computerised until recently? What impact will be made on the accuracy of the figures if those offices have not made returns?
I understand the information relating to the age of claimants and the duration of claims will be based on returns made by the 127 local offices of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. These are considerably more detailed than the monthly returns on which the current live register is based.
More than 70 branch offices are not computerised, are not directly controlled by the Department and will not have returned statistics. What impact will that have on the accuracy of the figures to be published tomorrow?
It should not have a major impact. Returns from the 127 centres should form the bulk of the data. I will communicate further with the Deputy on this matter.
The absence of regular statistics on age by duration was identified in the NESF report as problematic. Does the Government intend to put in place proposals to ensure regular reporting of such statistics? What plans are there to speed up the return of records by social welfare offices?
Tomorrow's publication is earlier than expected. The next publication will be on 8 July, which will deal with figures up to April, etc. The Central Statistics Office is narrowing the gap between collecting and publishing information on a month by month basis. I am assured that gap has been considerably reduced in recent months.
