Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1761. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to release the 1926 census ahead of centenary celebrations of 1916; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33957/14]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Programme for Government contains a commitment 'to enable publication of the 1926 census’. The project is not a 1916 Commemoration project per se, but seeks to build on the success of the digitisation of the 1901-1911 Census returns and other digitisation projects in the National Archives. A 1926 Census Working Group, comprising officials from my Department, the National Archives and the Central Statistics Office (CSO), has examined this complex project to determine what issues need to be addressed and resources put in in place to move the project forward.

As the Deputy may be aware, under the relevant legislation - the Statistics Act 1993 - census data must be withheld for 100 years. To release the records before the expiry of 100 years would require a major change in legislation and policy. I am advised that such a change could prejudice and undermine the ongoing collection of national statistics data.

Accordingly, following discussions with the CSO, it is considered that the next steps should address the issue of the extensive preparatory work that will be required - in advance of the legal restriction being resolved - to facilitate the release of the data into the public domain. The CSO and the National Archives have agreed to facilitate such preparatory work and a steering committee, chaired by my Department, has met to progress these plans.