Vol. 627 No. 1
1 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach the number of households that failed or refused to complete and return the census forms in respect of the recent census; if an estimate of the numbers in these households was included in the preliminary figures published in July 2006; the action being taken in respect of households that refused to return forms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35111/06]
The number of households which failed or refused to complete a census form in the recent census, though not precisely known at this stage, is believed to be relatively small.
The Central Statistics Office employed a field force comprising 40 regional supervisors, 400 field supervisors and 4,400 enumerators to carry out the census field operation. The 4,400 enumerators visited approximately 1.8 million private residences and communal establishments during the course of a nine-week field campaign. They delivered blank questionnaires to 1.5 million dwellings which were expected to be occupied on census night, 23 April 2006. Of the remaining 300,000 residences, 275,000 were vacant at the time of the census while in the remaining 25,000 cases the household was either enumerated elsewhere or temporarily absent from the State.
The vast majority of the population are very supportive of the census and understand the value which the results have in a rapidly changing society. In a small number of cases householders may have initially refused to complete their census forms. However, through the intervention of the field supervisors, and in some cases regional supervisors, it was possible to persuade the majority of these householders to comply. The number of households that refused outright to co-operate with the census was less than 20. The CSO will consult the Office of the Chief State Solicitor with a view to pursuing cases through the courts.
Despite the tenacity of the enumerators in making contact with householders during the course of the nine-week field campaign a number of householders may have evaded contact. Operating under strict guidelines, the enumerators were instructed to impute basic demographic information such as age, sex and nationality for the occupants of these households. The details were filled in by the enumerators on census forms with the word "IMPUTE" entered in the county of birth portion of the form to distinguish the census form as one which was constructed. When all of the census forms are processed it will be possible to derive an exact figure for the extent of this category. However, preliminary indications are that the number of persons involved is of the order of 6,000. The relevant population was included in the data published in the preliminary census report last July.
I commend the quality of the work done by the CSO. The first thing that occurs to me about the Minister of State's reply is to compare it with the response of the Minister for Finance earlier on the question of the electoral register. The Minister of State said there were 440 enumerators and a certain number of supervisors and others.
There were 400 field supervisors and 4,400 enumerators.
If almost 5,000 are required to carry out the census it is probably not surprising we have made such a botched job of the electoral register, on which 1,500 people were employed to do essentially the same job in a shorter period. Will the Minister for Finance, who is still in the House, take that on board? I do not expect him——
We want to have an orderly Question Time. This is Question Time for the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and to address remarks to another Minister in the House is moving away totally from that.
I am very sorry a Cheann Comhairle. I did not mean to refer to the presence of the Minister for Finance. Let it be deleted from the record. However, if he is listening outside, he might take——
I ask the Deputy to stay within the Department addressed in the questions. I accept the reference to the census, but not to the electoral register.
It is a constructive point and purely intended as such. We need to take urgent action on the matter and the answer provided by the Minister of State bears out statistically the truth of that.
In respect of the one sixth of houses in the jurisdiction that are not habitually occupied, what rule of thumb did the CSO apply? We had some exchanges previously on the issue of the shortfall — where enumerators returned time after time to houses and still failed to get people to comply — and the Minister asked the senior statistician to write to me on it. He made the point that they were able to persuade the majority of those of the need to comply. However, in the case of those who did not comply, for whatever reason, have any prosecutions been initiated?
The letter I received states that in a small number of cases instructions were issued to field staff to provide direct estimates of the age, sex and nationality of individuals whom they knew to be present, but who went out of their way to avoid enumeration. Is this saying that when enumerators visited a house or an apartment block, they were asked to make a stab at the number of persons they believed to be resident there and that as a result a guesstimate was made of the number of people who sought to evade compliance? Is that guesstimate included in the figures from the CSO? In respect of those who were not persuaded to comply, have prosecutions been or will they be initiated?
With the Chair's permission I will deal with the question raised by Deputy Rabbitte with regard to a comparison between the census work and the work now being carried out on the electoral register. The Labour Party has proposed to legislate for using information gathered in the census to update the electoral register. This would be a fundamental breach of trust by the State. I explained before that the seal of confidentiality under which census data is collected is a binding contract between the State and the citizen. An attempt to undermine that trust, as suggested by the Labour Party, could undermine the compilation of the census, not just now but in years to come. People must be assured that their right of privacy will not be legislated away after the event. Not only is the proposal unethical, it is not even sensible. Tourists or temporary workers staying in Ireland on the night of the census would find themselves on the Irish electoral register. There are serious issues with regard to the confidential nature of the census exercise as compared to the work of compiling the electoral register. My colleague, the Minister for Finance, has said there are over 1,500 field workers involved in that process. I do not wish to reopen that debate, but it is important for me to answer the question.
With regard to the figure of 6,000 to which I referred, the answer is yes, the enumerators were asked to impute the figures in those cases. Having returned time after time it was their duty to try to establish, perhaps from neighbours or other channels, figures for who and how many were there. The figure of 6,000 in the initial figures has been included in the overall figure derived from the work of the census.
With regard to legal action, the number of households that refused outright to co-operate — despite the fact the information provided is confidential, some people have a problem co-operating and refuse to do so for their own reasons — is very small. I referred to a figure of approximately 20, but the number of households that refused outright to co-operate with the census operation was less than 20. As a refusal to respond to the census is an offence under the Statistics Act 1993, the CSO will consult with the Office of the Chief State Solicitor with a view to pursuing these cases through the courts. That process is at an initial stage and no prosecutions have yet been made. The issue will be followed up and those who refused to comply will be pursued legally. Fines were set as high as £20,000 in the original Act and can now go to €25,000 on conviction.
The suggestion put forward by my colleague, Deputy Quinn, was that there would be two separate forms. I cannot see how two separate forms, handled and sealed separately, could involve any breach of confidentiality.
What is the anticipated date of publication of the final census report?
In a previous reply to Deputy McManus I referred to "early next year". That is as near as I can come to providing a definitive date.
That is a bit like the electoral register. Even the Ceann Comhairle must admit this question is permissible under the rules. What does "early next year" mean?
I would make a guess of either March or April.
Will the Minister of State find out for us?
Before the election, I will communicate with the Deputy.
We have never seen the advice proffered to suggest the very reliable data we already have in the preliminary report is not a basis for revision of constituencies. Is it the Government's intention to make that advice available to the House generally?
No, it is not normal practice to publish legal advice and the Minister has no plans to do so. The Deputy knows the position. Following publication of the CSO preliminary reports, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, sought the advice of the Attorney General on the census results and constituency boundaries. The Attorney General has advised that constituencies can only be revised on the basis of the final census figures. The preliminary figures cannot constitutionally be used to revise constituencies.
The Electoral Act 1997 provides for the establishment of a constituency commission upon the publication of the census report which contains the final figures. The Act also sets out the considerations to which a commission must have regard in observing the relevant provisions of the Constitution. The Minister intends to establish such a commission to review and report on Dáil and European constituencies as soon as the relevant census report is published. Under the Act, the commission will be required to report to the Ceann Comhairle as soon as may be, and in any event within six months of its establishment. The reports will then be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. That is the procedure.
The question refers to action being taken in respect of households that refused to return forms. Does part of this action involve a review of how the information has been collected or of how it will be collected in future? Tá suim faoi leith agam sa cheist seo de bharr go bhfaighim an fhoirm i leagan 100% Béarla, mar a fhaigheann gach duine eile í. Má bhíonn suim ag duine an fhoirm sin a fháil as Gaeilge nó in aon teanga eile, caithfidh sé stró a chur air féin, dul i dteagmháil leis an duine a bhíonn ag plé leis na foirmeacha agus ceann Gaeilge a lorg. Muna bhfuil an t-am ag an duine sin, níl aon dul as aige ach an fhoirm a líonadh as Béarla agus dearmad a dhéanamh den Ghaeilge. Má éiríonn leis an duine sin an leagan Gaeilge a fháil, iarrtar air an fhoirm Béarla a thabhairt ar ais, agus ansin ní bhíonn ach an fhoirm Gaeilge ag an duine. Muna bhfuil an duine líofa ar fad sa Ghaeilge, caithfidh sé iompú ar an mBéarla.
An féidir leis an Aire Stáit moladh a thabhairt don CSO go mbeadh an dá theanga taobh le taobh mar a bhíonn siad sa Bhreatain Bheag agus i dtíortha eile a mbíonn teanga faoi leith ar nós na Gaeilge á labhairt ag daoine áirithe iontu? Tá cead acu í a úsáid chomh maith má tá gnó acu leis an stát. Sin mo mholadh bunúsach. Má bhí leisce ormsa an fhoirm a líonadh de bharr nach raibh agam ach an leagan Béarla, déarfainn go mbeadh an leisce chéanna ar dhaoine eile. Caithfidh siad stró agus strus a chur orthu féin chun an scéal a cheartú trí leagan Gaeilge a fháil. Ó am go ham, bíonn an t-oifigeach sásta an dá leagan a fhágaint ag duine, an ceann Béarla agus an ceann Gaeilge, ach i ndáiríre, cén fáth gurb éigean dó é sin a dhéanamh? Tá córas dátheangach in ainm is a bheith ag an Stát.
Cuirfidh mé ceist ar an CSO maidir leis seo, agus iarrfaidh mé ar na hoifigigh scríobh chuig an Teachta Sargent.
Forms for individuals and households were available in both English and Irish and could be completed in either of the two official languages. In addition, to facilitate recent immigrants, translations of the census form were provided in 11 foreign languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, Latvian, Russian, Spanish and so on. Respondents could study the language version of their choice by completing either the English or Irish language form. I will raise that matter with the Central Statistics Office.
The Deputy is correct that there are many lessons to be learned from this experience. The Deputy and I have discussed previously the need to use the Internet. We would all hope by the time of the next census of population that we will be using the Internet, particularly on an exercise of this nature, especially given the problems with gated communities and apartment blocks. It is clear from my earlier reply, despite the fact that enumerators used mobile phones and calling cards, they still had difficulty gaining access. Given that modern communications will be freely available next time round, it will be important to use the Internet on that occasion. That is a given. I will raise that issue.
Clearly, it is important if there is to be a complete set of figures that everybody fills in the census of population form. If people did not fill in the form, there will have to be a review as to why they did not do so. There was much advertising at the time on the need for people to fill in the form in order that services could be planned based on an actual population. Where is the evidence that the census figures are used for that purpose? For example, in the areas of health care, education and transport planning in my constituency, there is no evidence that the census of population is used. A reasonable complaint could be made to the Advertising Standards Authority on that basis.
I have no doubt the CSO does a good job in compiling the figures. How is it that the census figures of 2002 could not predict the need for schools in my area or in other areas where there is a rapid population growth? Perhaps the Minister of State will say how census figures will be used as I do not see the evidence. I encouraged people to fill in their forms, but I do not see that it has made a difference in that, as stated in the advertisements, services would be planned for people on the basis of where they live.
We are getting into broader issues. I would be aware, as would anybody else who was campaigning in the Deputy's by-election, of the massive growth in population in north Kildare. We all accept that it is crucial work in regard to forward planning. There are questions in regard to disability on which we will seek detailed information to enable us plan for the tremendous investment that my colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, and others have made in that area. Our job is to make the investment.
On planning, we get the maximum amount of statistics and figures to help whoever is in Government at local and national level to do the job properly. From my experience, there is a massive increase in population in Kildare as well as many foreign workers. That is evident in the Deputy's constituency as well as in mine. One cannot always plan for that in a detailed way. Planning is an ongoing process. I accept there are pressures on schools, but it is up to Governments to move on and to try to provide those facilities. Whether in Kildare or south Dublin we have to plan for motorways, roads, infrastructure, hospitals and schools. The massive growth in population and the arrival of immigrants are symptoms of a successful economy. Sometimes there are elements of success for which we cannot provide instant solutions. That is what is happening as far as I am concerned. They are qualities in an economy we would all welcome in any given day. When we compare ourselves to other economies throughout the EU, we are the envy of many. While the figures can only do so much, they are crucial for forward planning.
On the issue of why people do not return census of population forms, perhaps the Minister of State would give consideration to the fact that people do not think it worthwhile to return them. On the basis of the census, the National Development Plan 2000-2006 was drawn up, on which there is an underspend of €3.7 billion. This includes an underspend of €500 million on our roads. When people filled in their census of population form, they would have expected by the time of the second census that the roads, infrastructure and broadband would be in place and that they would have everything they need to make our area competitive in order that people could continue to live there, including their families. We are into the second census of population where there is now——
I ask the Deputy to confine himself to a question.
Since the census has shown a growth of population in my area, including immigrants, as mentioned by the Minister of State, what hope have they got and what hope have we got given that the National Development Plan 2000-2006 is coming to an end at the end of next month?
The Deputy's question is more appropriate for another Minister. This question deals purely with the census.
Can people have any more hope when they return the census of population form that the information gleaned from it will make a difference, given that it has not made a difference so far in view of the underspend of €3.65 billion under the national development plan?
Part and parcel of the publicity campaign is to underline the importance of this work. As I said earlier, most people agree that it is important work for whichever Government is in place. The Deputy represents a part of the country where it is crucial to have proper census figures for future planning, whether for the western corridor or wherever, and Transport 21 bears that out. The Government is conscious of the need for transport infrastructure in particular. There is an onus on all of us as public representatives to support this process because it is in the interests of the ordinary citizen.
Maybe I am losing it Minister. Did the Minister of State say how the one sixth of houses that are vacant most of the time were treated?
Yes, I did — 6,000——
Six thousand what?
I said earlier: "When all of the census forms are processed, it will be possible to derive an exact figure for the extent of this category. However, preliminary indications are that the number of persons involved is of the order of 6,000."
The Minister of State is mishearing me. The same figures show that a sixth of the houses in the State are not habitually occupied. How is that treated in the census? That is not 6,000, as the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with special responsibility for housing would remind us.
It is a straightforward question of how we count the people who are in the country on census night. If, for example, Limerick residents were in Dublin on the night to support Munster, they were counted in guesthouses and hotels in Dublin. People on boats and civilian ships in Dublin's harbours and tourists in Ireland for the night were also counted. However, people who were away from the country were not counted. The latter may be the people to which Deputy Rabbitte referred.
Is the Minister of State saying that, if a census enumerator knocks on a door in An Spidéal but finds nobody at home, the occupants are simply excluded?
That is correct.
I take it the Minister of State is not chancing his arm. Has he established that with the CSO?
As I said earlier, a process has to be followed in which houses are revisited. Enumerators were given mobile telephones and calling cards, so it is not a question of knocking once and not finding anybody there. However, if people are away on holidays, for example, they are not counted.
2 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will encourage the Central Statistics Office to collate and present statistics on an all-Ireland basis in order to avoid presenting statistics, including historical statistics pre-dating partition, in a partitionist manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35938/06]
The functions of the Central Statistics Office, as set out in section 10 of the Statistics Act 1993, include the collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions in the State. The CSO's publications reflect this remit. In certain instances, where long-term time series cover the period before the foundation of the State, such as long-term population trends, the statistics cover the same area to facilitate comparisons. The CSO has undertaken a number of initiatives in co-operation with the relevant Departments in Northern Ireland, including the publication of three thematic volumes of Ireland, North and South: A Statistical Profile. The 2000 edition was published in January 2001, followed by an on-line update in January 2003, while the 2003 report was published in January 2004. The most recent example of that co-operation was the inclusion of statistical information on Northern Ireland as an appendix to the 2006 edition of the CSO's Statistical Yearbook of Ireland.
I commend the Central Statistics Office on the quality of its work, particularly with regard to the compilation, preparation and presentation of the Statistical Yearbook of Ireland. However, has the Minister of State noted this otherwise useful and well-presented publication does not include a section which presents in a crisp and simple form the critical information on the all-Ireland population and a variety of other matters? One has to take the collective figures on the population of the Twenty-six Counties and then refer to the appendix in order to carry out the necessary calculations. For the record, the population of Ireland is in excess of 5.95 million people.
Given that the appendix now covers the Six Counties, will the Minister of State ask the CSO to include a simple tabular profile of the reality of the situation on the island of Ireland when it prepares future editions of the Statistical Yearbook of Ireland? It would not be an onerous task to do so and it would be of tremendous interest to people.
Historic information should also be presented. Has the Minister of State noted that, although partition was imposed in 1921, the publication's historical information dating back to 1841 refers to three provinces and the three Ulster counties, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan, which are part of this State but does not present information on the overall population which censuses conducted between 1841 and 1921 would certainly have revealed? Does he agree this gives a false picture and will he use his office to appeal to the CSO to take on board my repeated appeals to him in this regard, as well as the views expressed by others? Does he further agree that the CSO should produce a section dedicated to the all-Ireland presentation of facts and figures pertaining to the people of the island of Ireland in all 32 counties?
Under the CSO's legal mandate, as Deputy Ó Caoláin will appreciate, the agency does not have jurisdiction to collect statistics from households or businesses in Northern Ireland and would not, therefore, be in a position to compile statistics on Northern Ireland. However, the Deputy is not suggesting that anyway. I agree that the maximum level of co-operation in this area is vital to the interests of the island of Ireland and I will convey his views to the CSO.
As I stated earlier, the agency has undertaken a number of initiatives in co-operation with the relevant Departments in Northern Ireland but we have different ways of collecting information. With regard to the comparability of statistics when compiling the North-South statistical profile, it is important to note that different concepts are used on either side of the Border to collect information and in the classification system used when publishing tables. For these reasons, some statistics are not directly comparable between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The CSO will consider, in consultation with the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, NISRA, the publication of a new edition of the North-South statistical profile when the full 2006 census of population results are available.
The Deputy is correct that, since the foundation of the State, tables showing long-term time series for the Twenty-six Counties have regularly been included in statistical publications. The 1926 census, for example, included figures dating back to 1821 in respect of the Twenty-six Counties, which allowed population figures to be presented on a comparative geographical basis. The main areas for which statistics were compiled prior to the foundation of the State were population, agriculture, births, deaths and marriages.
