Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 120: To ask the Taoiseach if a nationality question will be included in the quarterly national household survey in order that reliable estimates of the number of Irish and non-Irish emigrants can be identified and the number of migrants returning to their countries of origin can be approximated; if his attention has been drawn to the specific requests on this issue that have been made by a national organisation (details supplied) working in this area to the Central Statistics Office; and when the request will be responded to. [18103/08]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) includes a question on the nationality of the usual residents of the households selected. Based on the responses to the question, the results can distinguish the labour force characteristics of Irish and non-Irish nationals. This is done in Tables A1 and A2 of the QNHS release.

The QNHS also allows immigrant and emigrant flows to be distinguished. Immigrants are analysed by sex, broad age group, country of origin and nationality while emigrants are analysed by sex, broad age group and country of destination. The results are contained in the annual population and migration release.

Capturing the details of emigrants gives rise to greater difficulty than reporting on immigrants because the former have already departed and therefore reliance has to be placed on some of those remaining in the household to report the details.

Complete households emigrating pose a particular difficulty. Because of this and the level of uncertainty surrounding the measurement of migration flows the published net migration figures are preliminary and subject to amendment once the results of the next census become available.

Notwithstanding these difficulties, the CSO accepts that the nationality of those who have emigrated needs to be distinguished and advises me that it is currently examining what additional measures might be possible to strengthen the available data in this respect.

The CSO regrets that the correspondence addressed to it by the national organisation (details supplied) was not replied to in a timely manner. This arose because the correspondence was addressed to an officer who is on long-term sick leave. I understand that a reply has since issued addressing the points raised and that the organisation is happy to accept the CSO's apology in respect of the unintentional oversight.