Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The functions of the Central Statistics Office, as set out in section 10 of the Statistics Act 1993, include the collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions in the State. The CSO's publications reflect this remit. In certain instances, where long-term time series cover the period before the foundation of the State, such as long-term population trends, the statistics cover the same area to facilitate comparisons. The CSO has undertaken a number of initiatives in co-operation with the relevant Departments in Northern Ireland, including the publication of three thematic volumes of Ireland, North and South: A Statistical Profile. The 2000 edition was published in January 2001, followed by an on-line update in January 2003, while the 2003 report was published in January 2004. The most recent example of that co-operation was the inclusion of statistical information on Northern Ireland as an appendix to the 2006 edition of the CSO's Statistical Yearbook of Ireland.

See this speech in context