Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

Most definitely, no one is delaying anything in this regard. As I noted earlier, something like 16 publications are planned and promised before the end of 2007. That is the specific commitment made by the CSO. Hence, it has a carefully planned programme of work to undertake. I am not in a position to comment on the differentiation between the preliminary and definitive figures. We must await the outcome to see how it pans out. We may speculate all we wish and I am inclined to agree with the Deputy that in the times in which we live, there may not be much of a discrepancy. However, we must await the outcome.

As legislators, we must also be directed by the Attorney General, and in this case he has advised that constituencies may only be revised on the basis of the final census figures. This would be the advice received whether Fianna Fáil or the Labour Party was in Government. We cannot work with preliminary figures. The Deputy referred to the actions of a previous Government. We are advised by the Attorney General on those lines and this is the advice to which we will adhere.

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