Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The Minister of State is back from his wanderings now and I am back also. What is the current level of co-operation between the CSO and the Statistics and Research Agency north of the Border? Is the Minister of State aware that a mistake is continually made between population comparisons of various census results? The census of 1901, an all-Ireland census, showed the population at that time to be 3.2 million. The census in 2002, which referred only to this State, the Twenty-six Counties, recorded a population of 3.9 million. I heard one Minister refer previously to the latter figure as the population of Ireland, but such mistakes are misleading and convey false information.

It is imperative that there is increased co-operation on an all-Ireland basis as regards the real statistical facts. Will the Minister of State outline the current level of co-operation between the statistical bodies North and South, as well as the steps he is taking to enhance such co-operation? Does he agree that this is both desirable and achievable?

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