Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Other Members have mentioned the census, which is coming up on Sunday. It is an exciting opportunity in relation to the time capsule that has been included. I congratulate the CSO on that idea. I am not sure it exists anywhere else in the world. When I looked at the 1911 census in relation to my grandparents, it was fantastic to find their households recorded. I encourage people to think about what they will put into that time capsule. I heard somebody on the radio suggesting they might record the name of their pets, for example. The Irish Thalidomide Association is asking people to write the word "Thalidomide" into it and underline it as a mark of the fact that that is an unresolved issue. It is an exciting time and it is important for people to record their personal circumstances confidentially but for the benefit of our statisticians.

Agus muid ag labhairt ar an daonáireamh Dé Domhnach seo chugainn, an 3 Aibreán, tá sé an-tábhachtach do dhaoine i bpobal labhartha na Gaeilge. Is iad na daoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge gach lá, go minic, gach seachtain nó pé rud é. Ba cheart dóibh a mhaíomh sa daonáireamh go labhraíonn siad Gaeilge ionas go mbeadh a fhios agus eolas againn faoi phobal labhartha na Gaeilge agus an méid daoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge gach lá nó go minic. Muna chuireann siad an t-eolas sin sa daonáireamh ní bheidh an t-eolas sin ag an Stát. Caithimid an t-eolas sin a bheith againn ionas go mbeadh an Stát in ann gach rud a chur in áit do dhaoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge gach lá. Sa bhealach sin beidh gach rud ann dóibh chun an teanga a chothú. Molaim do phobal labhartha na Gaeilge a mhaíomh sa daonáireamh go labhraíonn siad Gaeilge más sin a dhéanann siad.