Tony Killeen
Ceist:2 Mr. Killeen asked the Taoiseach the plans, if any, he has to introduce regionalisation of statistical information which is not already undertaken. [15662/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Statistical Information.
Information on most topics published by the Central Statistics Office is available on a regional basis, for example, the census of population, the labour force survey, the census of industrial production, the census of agriculture and the household budget survey. The principal area in which it is now planned to move to a regional basis is in the compilation of overall economic accounts. The Central Statistics Office has commissioned the ESRI to undertake a study into the methodology required to compile the principal elements of these accounts on a regional basis. The statistics already available at a regional level are likely to be of considerable use in the compilation of regional accounts.
I understand our GDP is 73 per cent of the EU average and is catching up quickly. This has clear implications for our eligibility for structural funding and EU resource transfers in the future. Will the Minister state if the economic accounts currently under review and which will be prepared by the ERSI will establish regional imbalances in GDP for that or any other purpose that might be required by the Government?
Deputy Killeen is quite right to question the impact of regional accounts on overall national figures. No doubt he has in mind the next tranche of Structural Funds to be allocated on a regional basis. In the last round of negotiations Structural Funds were allocated to regions whose GDP per capita was less than 75 per cent of the Community average. As a whole, Ireland qualified under that criterion and was considered as one region for Structural Funds allocation purposes. Our GDP per capita is now approximately 81 per cent of the Community average so that, if the 75 per cent criterion were to be applied at the next round, Ireland as a whole would not qualify, hence the need to develop regional GDPs. The ESRI is developing a system of compiling regional accounts for the eight regional authority areas nationwide. Of course the 75 per cent criterion may be renegotiated upwards in the course of the next round of Structural Funds allocations.