§ 86. Mr. R. McNEILLasked the Chief Secretary for what reason the Irish Local Government Board requested the Press Bureau to issue directions to Irish newspapers not to discuss the working of the Registration Act in Ireland?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)No instructions of the nature indicated in the question were issued by any Department of the Irish Government.
§ 87. Mr. McNEILLasked the Chief Secretary whether the constabulary throughout Ireland have been engaged in compiling an Irish register of the same nature as the British register under the National Registration Act, both in areas scheduled under the Act and in areas not so scheduled; whether the constabulary have been provided with special forms for use in non-scheduled areas; what is the statutory authority for taking the register in non-scheduled areas; and for what purpose this Irish register is required?
§ Mr. BIRRELLOn the Committer stage of the National Registration Bill I gave, as one of the reasons for the differential application of the Bill to Ireland, the fact that the Irish Government had, in the Register of Householders, maintained by the Royal Irish Constabulary, a record of the population embodying much of the information which it was sought under the Bill to acquire for Great Britain. As I foreshadowed on that occasion, the constabulary have lately been engaged in entering on special forms such information as they had with regard to all persons between the ages of 15 and 65. This information, for the collection of which 324 no sanction other than the direction of the Lord Lieutenant was required, will supplement that obtained under the Act from persons who have themselves filled in forms, and from any other source at the disposal of the Registrar-General, and will be made available for the same purposes as the rest of the information.