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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Mar 1992

Vol. 417 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Income Levels.

John Bruton

Ceist:

3 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if information is available on the comparative income levels in each county in Ireland; and if not, the reason therefor.

The Central Statistics Office does not compile information on income levels by county. Any such data would involve a considerable degree of estimation and would require the redeployment of resources from existing priority tasks in the national accounts area. These priorities are to improve the timeliness and quality of the accounts for the nation and to provide a more extensive range of national sectoral information than has hitherto been possible.

Would the Minister of State not agree that information on relative county income would be particularly useful when deciding the allocation of funds as between one county and another — for example, within the Department of the Environment — to ensure that ongoing distribution is fair and that allocation is not simply made on a historic basis that has no regard to actual county income and ability to pay tax and generate it locally? County statistics were available in the past, having been prepared by the ERSI, but were not kept up to date. Would the Minister not agree, from the point of view of regional policy, that county income statistics should be available.

I agree with the Deputy that such statistics would be useful in the allocation of moneys and so on, but whether or not it would be an economic proposition to produce those figures on the basis suggested by the Deputy is another matter altogether. It is true that those statistics were available from the Economic and Social Research Institute. However, the most recent statistics relate to 1969 and were published in a 1972 paper entitled Further Data on County Income in the Sixties, written by Miceál Ross. The results of that study involved a considerable degree of estimation, principally because of the difficulties in measuring the extent of the transfer of incomes between counties. The results have not kept up to date. It is a matter of whether or not it would be proper to spend the required amount of money and time on such statistics when the Government are giving priority to the accounts of the nation.

As cost seems to be the obstacle, in the view of the Minister, what would that cost be?

If the Deputy puts down a question a question to that effect, I shall try to get him the information he requires.

In earlier answers the Minister of State said that cost was a reason for not having the information available. One could not regard that answer as being very serious if he is not able to say what the cost would be. It was the Minister of State who brought this matter up, so he should be able to indicate what the cost would be.

The cost would be prohibitive.

What would the cost be?

It would be prohibitive.

How can the Minister of State say that the cost would be prohibitive if he does not know what the cost would be?

The question is leading to repetition and to argument.

The Minister of State has stated that the cost of producing county income statistics would be prohibitive, but he is unable to say what that cost would be. How could that be so? I ask the Minister of State to inquire what the cost would be before he makes the judgment, not knowing the cost, that it would be prohibitive.

I know that it would be prohibitive——

How does the Minister of State know that?

——and so does the Deputy.

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