John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That answers one question. The CSO has indicated that it is trying to eliminate the burden of red tape its questionnaires impose on the small and medium enterprise sector. This means that companies with fewer than ten employees do not receive a questionnaire. I have seen the questionnaires sent to companies and assisted some companies in completing them. The way in which questions are asked is not appropriate to some companies, although I presume they are generally appropriate. What engagement does the CSO have with the various sectors to which it sends questionnaires to establish the breakdown within each sector in order that it can make its questionnaires more relevant? For example, in the transport sector a question will relate to whether a company is shifting goods by truck, trailer, van or whatever else and likewise in respect of the retail trade. What effort is being made to ensure questions are framed in such a way that the CSO will obtain the information it wants and avoid a scenario in which someone completes a form because he or she knows that if the company is to be in compliance, the boxes must be ticked and the form returned? This frequently happens and it skews outcomes for the CSO.