asked the Minister for Finance if he will comment on the accuracy, on the basis of statistical information available to him, of the statement in the OECD economic survey on Ireland that maximum total value of remittances from emigrants from Ireland was 1.2 per cent of gross national product in 1987 compared with 8 per cent of gross national product in Portugal and 2.5 per cent gross national product in Greece, despite a much larger stock of emigrants, relative to population size, in the case of Ireland; and the reasons for this phenomenon, if it is accurate.
Written Answers. - Remittances from Emigrants.
94.
There are considerable difficulties with cross-country comparisons of this type because of problems of definition and the imprecise nature of the data used. This is recognised by international organisations. However, on the information available to the Central Statistics Office the methodology used in respect of Greece appears to be broadly similar to that for Ireland, but no information is available for Portugal. I am also informed by that office that the figure quoted for Ireland included elements of pensions and other similar receipts from outside the State, which of course are not within the scope of "emigrants' remittances". If these are excluded, the figure for emigrants' remittances for Ireland is about one quarter of that quoted in the OECD survey.
As regards the accuracy of the Irish data, I would point out that the relevant information is supplied to the Central Statistics Office, on a voluntary basis, by financial institutions. Although the data could be subject to imprecision in classification, it is not considered that this would materially alter the comparisons.
I am not aware of research into reasons for the differences in the levels of these remittances between Ireland and the countries mentioned. Among the relevant considerations would be relative domestic incomes in the countries in question; variations in the level of social provision, and thus in the need for such remittances; and differences in the profile of emigrants, particularly as regards responsibility for a non-emigrating dependent family.