Mr. Pádraig Dalton:

I point the Senator towards the National Statistics Board strategy, which provides strategic guidance to the CSO. The role of the CSO changed in 2015 via two mechanisms. One was through the change in EU law, which means the director general of the CSO is no longer responsible solely for statistics compiled by the CSO. I am now responsible for European statistics compiled right across the public sector. There are 15 other agencies in the State that currently compile European statistics. If there is an issue with the European statistics now compiled by one of those entities, EUROSTAT will come to me and hold me responsible for addressing the issue.

The National Statistics Board strategy has also stated the CSO should be co-ordinating across the public sector to put in place structures and strategies to ensure that data collected for a primary purpose cannot subsequently be used for secondary processing in support of statistical products. We have put a new directorate in place, our statistical coordination directorate, and are actively engaging across the broader public service to develop skill sets and data infrastructures that will allow all of us to make better use of the information that has already been collected and that citizens have already provided to us in order that we can provide better evidence to inform decision-making right across the system. I am sure it will take time, but it is a process that is well under way. We have had a lot of very positive engagement right across the system.