asked the Minister for Finance if he will make available for Deputies the report of the special census made on the 4th February last regarding the number of unemployment assistance people for every electoral area in the Saorstát registered in the employment exchanges, and the number of people from each of these electoral areas actually engaged on relief works at that time.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment in Electoral Areas.
It is not proposed to publish the figures obtained in the February census in the form suggested.
The return in question refers to more than 3,000 separate areas, and consideration is being given to the possibility of devising a table which would make usefully available the information of general interest which it contains.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary state why it is not proposed to issue the figures in the form asked for?
Because it would convey an entirely wrong impression.
If that is so, may I ask why the Parliamentary Secretary put it in that way to the House himself?
Where did I do so?
You will find it in the Official Report of the 4th February.
It is a pity that the Deputy's supplementary questions are not intelligible.
Am I to take it that the real reason why the information will not be published is that, if it were published in that form, it would disclose the true state of affairs?
It is because the information in that form would not disclose the true state of affairs.
May I suggest that the real reason those facts are not published is because they would not be creditable to the Parliamentary Secretary or the Department?
It is really because the Parliamentary Secretary is so modest that he does not desire all the credit he would get from the publication of that information.
The Parliamentary Secretary will soon know what the people think.