asked the Taoiseach if any form of census will be carried out during the present year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Taking of Census.
1.
The Central Statistics Office are at present carrying out a sample labour force survey involving some 40,000 households which, in addition to providing information on employment, will also yield a good deal of demographic information on the total population such as age structure, marital status, et cetera.
In view of the fact that there are 150,000 people unemployed does the Parliamentary Secretary think that the sample taken by the Government will be sufficiently large to give a true reflection of the information they require? Could the Parliamentary Secretary further indicate if the sample taken will provide the Government with the information they have not got up to now in relation to unemployed persons in certain Dublin areas?
I should like notice about the second part of that question. I have not got information which would break the country down into areas. The answer to the first part of the Deputy's supplementary is: yes, it will give reliable information as to the actual number of people out of work.
Bearing in mind that there are 150,000 people unemployed would the Government not consider the carrying out of a complete census in order to take some people off the dole queues at present to carry out this very important work and to assist governments in future forward planning?
This question has been raised several times before. The Taoiseach has told the House several times what was the Government's decision in this regard. I can tell the Deputy that there is at present an EEC regulation which will oblige all member governments to hold a census during the second quarter of the year 1981. In view of that in particular, the Government would think it unjustifiable expenditure of money to hold a census such a short time before we have to hold one anyway.
In view of the fact that the Government will be directed now to hold a census in 1981 does that mean that they will not take effective action on problems arising between 1977 and 1981? Would the Parliamentary Secretary indicate how the Government can formulate a forward-planning policy in relation to various problems if they cannot identify them?
The Government identify the problems very well and easily without the necessity for a full, detailed census of the kind the Deputy has in mind. I should like to remind the Deputy that, though this country was used formerly to having only a five-year interval between censuses, the usual thing in the other EEC countries is a ten-year interval. If we fall into a ten-year rhythm we will be falling into a pattern that has been known on the continent for a very long time.
Next question.
The five-year interval was a useful exercise but it was, in some respects, a luxury which this country had and to which other countries had not been accustomed.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that our parliamentary representation is tied to the population figures and that a census, even in that respect, is absolutely essential?
If it is so tied——
Is the Parliamentary Secretary seriously inferring that we will not have a population census until 1981?
A full census of the kind we have been accustomed to call a census, probably will not be held until 1981 when we are obliged to hold one anyway in the second quarter of the year because of an EEC decision binding on all member Governments to that effect. In regard to the first part of what the Deputy said, if there is a constitutional requirement which ties parliamentary representation to census figures, it refers to the last available census figures. That has always been interpreted as meaning a census figure even though it might lie several years further back.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary really saying that the present gerrymandering of constituencies will be allowed to continue until 1981?
The Deputy can put whatever words he likes into my mouth——
Question No. 2.
As the Government have not got some vital statistics required from time to time to assess future development does the Parliamentary Secretary indicate that no future planning can or will take place as a result of the lack of statistical information necessary and desirable in order to carry out effective forward planning?
The Deputy knows perfectly well that the Central Statistics Office collects information, in all kinds of ways, which is perfectly adequate to enable large scale economic planning to take place. We are not dependent on the individual household census which in other countries, countries who have nothing to apologise for in regard to their economic record, never takes place except at ten-year intervals.
Next question.