Vol. 407 No. 1
38 Mr. Bell asked the Taoiseach the number and nature of prosecutions undertaken by the Central Statistics Office under the Statistics Acts, 1926 and 1946 since 1987; the results of such prosecutions; the penalties available under these Acts; whether a revision of the Statistics Acts is contemplated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There have been no prosecutions taken by the Central Statistics Office under the Statistics Acts 1926 and 1946 since 1987.
The following penalties are prescribed in the 1926 Act:
(1) Failure to make returns and give information in accordance with the Act: A fine not exceeding twenty pounds or, at the discretion of the court, imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months or both such fine and such imprisonment;
(2) Unlawful disclosure of information collected under the Act or unlawful collection of information by an officer of statistics: A fine not exceeding fifty pounds or, at the discretion of the court, imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months, or both such fine and such imprisonment.
A new Statistics Bill has been drafted and is being considered departmentally. This draft currently includes an updating of the existing penalties in the Statistics Acts. The draft will be considered shortly by the Government in the normal way.
