Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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170. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to publish the 1926 census; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39414/14]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to enable publication of the 1926 census. The project 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 what resources need to be put in place to move the project forward.

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 change in legislation and policy. I am advised that such a change could prejudice and undermine the ongoing collection of national statistics data. Accordingly no change is contemplated at this time.

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 to facilitate the release of the data into the public domain in due course. The CSO and the National Archives have agreed to facilitate such preparatory work and the Working Group, chaired by my Department, will progress these plans.