Council Chairman's Census Count Plea to Students
THE CHAIRMAN of Mayo County Council, Mr. John Flannery has issued a plea to all third level students studying outside of Mayo to remain at home on Sunday night and be counted in the national Census.
Those away on temporary work or absent for sporting or leisure activities but normally resident in the county should make an effort to be included in the Mayo statistics. The figures were vital, Mr. Flannery said, if Mayo as a region was to attract inward invest in the future.
Mr. Flannery said: "Young people who are out of the county for educational, employment or sporting purposes, but normally resident here, should return for the Census count. It is only one weekend in their lifetime.
"The county needs inward investment but the only way we are going to attract this is by population trends.
" We want to reverse the de-population trend which resulted in a bad showing for us in the last Census.
"This was evident from the statistics when up to three thousand students were in digs outside of Mayo and were not included in the final figures for this area.
"I am making a plea to all young people who possibly can to return to their homes this weekend and be recorded as Mayo students.
"Today's third level students will be tomorrow's industrialists and hopefully they will set up base in Mayo."
The appeal by Mr Flannery follows similar statements from the Council for the West and Western Bishops pointing out the necessity of having all the third level students register as being resident in Mayo on Census night.
Mr Flannery added: "We are making this plea to the young people because Mayo is on the move. This will help us grow if they are part of the Census figures on Sunday night."
He said the fact that Mayo is losing one Dail Deputy, based on the last Census figures, showed the need to bolster the population figures.
"There is an urgent for us to redress the situation", Mr. Flannery said.
"The population trends will encourage inward investment in the county.
"Every Mayo young person should wear the county jersey on Sunday night by
remaining at home and being included in the Census figures for their household".
Connaught Telegraph - News - April 1996
