Foot-and-mouth yesterday forced the Government to postpone for a year the Census of Population, which was to have been carried out by the Central Statistics Office on April 29th, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Reporter. Some 4,000 people had been hired by the CSO on temporary contracts to visit every home to collect the census forms.

Meanwhile, the Government will decide "by Easter time" if foot-and-mouth will force the postponement of the Nice Treaty referendum and three others, due to be held on May 31st, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, told the Dail yesterday.