Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Taoiseach the number of people who indicated that they had an ability to speak Irish or who use Irish on a daily basis in the last ten censuses of population. [24698/06]

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table. Irish speakers aged 3 years and over, 1926-2002

A new question on ability to speak the Irish language and frequency of speaking Irish was introduced in the 1996 Census of Population. The new version of the question marked a major departure from the version used in previous censuses and the results for earlier years are therefore not directly comparable. The version used in those years asked respondents to write "Irish only", "Irish and English", "Read but cannot speak Irish" or to leave blank as appropriate. The version introduced in 1996 was retained unchanged for 2002.

In respect of the most recent Census of Population, which was carried out in April 2006, a further distinction was introduced between those who speak Irish daily within the education system and those who speak it daily outside the education system.