Emigration figures for 1979–1984
Brennan requested emigration figures for 1984, 1982 and 1979. Barrett gave estimated net emigration of 2,500 annually in 1979–1981 and 6,000 annually in 1981–1984, noting that census-to-census estimates are the reliable measure.
asked the Taoiseach if he will state, in so far as can be ascertained, the numbers emigrating in 1984 and the comparable figure for 1982 and 1979.
Comment on this
, Dún Laoghaire): The best estimates available of net migration in recent years are:
for the years 1979-1981, net migration outwards of some 5,000 for the two years or net emigration of 2,500 a year;
for the years 1981-1984, net migration outwards for the three years of some 18,000 or net emigration of 6,000 a year.
I should stress that the only reliable estimates of migration flows are those for net migration between successive Censuses of Population. These estimates are obtained as the difference between the change in the total population on successive census dates and the excess of births over deaths in the same period. For the period since the 1981 census, therefore, only very tentative estimates of net migration are available based on provisional population estimates.