Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire. Ba mhaith liom ard mholadh a thabhairt don Seanadóir Ó Murchú as ucht an Bille seo a thabhairt chun cinn. Tuigim an dúthracht pearsanta atá aige don ábhar seo agus an cúis faoi leith atá aige. Tuigim gur rud eisceachtúil atá i gceist agus nach é go bhfuil sé ag iarraidh an dlí ar fad a athrú maidir le cúrsaí staitisticí agus an chaoi a bhfuiltear á bhailiú. Baineann sé seo le tréimhse an speisialta i stair na tíre agus mar gheall go bhfuil muid ag teacht suas go dtí comóradh 100 bliain Éirí Amach 1916, tá an t-eolas seo fíor tábhachtach. Sin ráite - aisteach go leor - tuigeann muid freisin taobh an Rialtais don scéal, ó thaobh an cás atá á chur chun cinn ag an Aire maidir le cúrsaí sonraí pearsanta agus go bhfuil gá ann go gcaomhnófaí sonraí pearsanta daoine agus go dtabharfaí aire faoi leith dó sin.

Sinn Féin welcomes the spirit of the Bill and acknowledges and recognises the historical significance of the 1926 census. In that vein, we fully support the proposal to give special status to that specific census.

Sílim gur sin an pointe tábhachtach anseo. Ní hé go bhfuil muid ag caint faoi gach daonáireamh. Táimid ag caint faoi daonáireamh faoi leith a bhfuil tábhacht speisialta faoi leith ag baint leis. Is gá eisceacht speisialta a dhéanamh dó.

Sinn Féin has a number of concerns regarding the provision to make the 1926 census publicly available. Our concerns relate to issues of confidentiality and privacy. With regard to the latter, the 100 year rule serves an important function in guaranteeing in law that personal data given by members of the public to the State for the purposes of the census remain confidential. I listened intently to the contributions of other Senators and note, in particular, Senator van Turnhout's point that the 100 year rule was not in place in 1926 when the census information was gathered. As such, those who took part in the 1926 census did not sign up to any such rule.

The census is an exceptionally valuable and vital tool for the State in planning for future and long-term policy development. The 100 year rule is specifically designed to ensure the issue of confidentiality is adequately addressed. To put it another way, it ensures that virtually all of those who give data or information to the State on census night will be deceased when 100 years have passed. Confidentiality is thus ensured.

Sinn Féin's main concern with the proposal to release the 1926 census to the public is that the guarantee of anonymity which underpins the collection of census data will be called into question. Releasing the 1926 census to the public has the potential to set a precedent and could result in historians and others shifting their focus to the 1936 census and so forth. The State needs to be able to collect data to guide policy and future planning. For this reason, members of the public are entitled to know the information they provide is confidential and anonymous. Moreover, given that people generally live longer than in previous decades, the 100 year rule is very important. Nevertheless, my party fully understands the significance of the 1926 census and the useful window it would give us into the revolutionary period if it were made publicly available. This information would also be a very useful tool in that it would pull back the veil on the spectre of emigration and the thousands of people who essentially turned their backs on the Irish State.

I note the interesting points made by Senator Feargal Quinn on the Government's policy on archiving. This is a relevant issue and one the Government should consider given that data and documentation surrounding previous censuses have been lost. This gives rise to questions about the security of the archives currently being built up, the locations at which they are being kept and so forth.

Sinn Féin notes the commitment in the programme of Government to make the 1926 census data available. The Government parties obviously realised, when drawing up their programme, that the 1926 census provided unique information and that the 100 year rule was not introduced until 1993. In the spirit of Senator Ó Murchú's proposals, Sinn Féin will support the Bill, albeit on a once-off basis because we have concerns around the 100 year rule. Our concerns do not hinge on the fact that some people who were living at the time of the 1926 census are still alive but on the fact that releasing the 1926 census sends out a message to those who will be asked to fill in census forms in future. We must guarantee members of the public anonymity to ensure they do not hold back on information.

I bprionsabal, táimid i bhfábhar an Bille. Dar linn go bhfuil sé dá thabhairt chun cinn le iontaoibh agus le dea-chroí agus go bhfuil cúis an-mhaith le seo a dhéanamh, go háirithe agus muid ag comóradh Éirí Amach 1916 agus 100 bliain uaidh sin agus go háirithe i dtaobh an t-eolas iontach speisialta a thabharfadh an daonáireamh dúinn. I ndáiríre, tá amhras orainn i dtaobh na himpleachtaí, ach síleann muid go bhféadfaí déileáil le sin le leasuithe dá dtiocfadh an Bille go dtí an chéad Céim eile. Dá bhrí sin, impímid ar an Aire agus an Rialtas athmhacnamh a dhéanamh ar an méid a dúirt an Príomh Aoire agus tacaíocht a thabhairt don Bhille agus é a scaoileadh ar aghaidh go dtí an chéad Céim eile.