Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The consultation took place between August 2008 and November 2008. Submissions were invited from the public and interested bodies in August 2008 on the content of the questionnaire. Submissions were received from 91 different organisations and individuals. These covered Departments, local authorities, Government agencies, the research and academic communities and private individuals. The submission covered 31 different topics. I am not in a position to identify the position on the HSE specifically but I will find out the information and communicate it to the Deputy.

Two meetings of the census advisory group were held in September and November 2008. The group comprised persons from Departments, local authorities, public bodies, the social partners, universities, research institutes and the CSO. Some groups, comprising representatives from various appropriate bodies and interest groups, were convened to discuss and agree on the topics of disability, education, enumerating and homelessness. The content of the pilot questionnaire was decided on the basis of the consultation and discussions that took place. A strategic decision was taken at senior management level in the CSO to adhere to the 24-page layout used in the 2002 and 2006 censuses. This provided three pages per person enumerated for up to six persons in each household.

Two versions of the pilot questionnaire were devised to allow controlled testing of the new and revised questions, as indicated. The two versions were distributed evenly among households in the pilot areas. Version A was delivered to every second household and version B was offered to the remaining households. The pilot survey was conducted on 19 April 2009 and the sample covered approximately 11,400 addresses located in 32 enumeration areas in eight counties. The areas selected were representative of urban and rural areas, in addition to deprived and non-deprived areas.

Five types of strata were chosen for the pilot programme. In cities, the enumeration areas were within Dublin and Cork administrative areas. With regard to suburban areas, the enumeration areas were in the suburbs of Dublin. The enumeration areas in large towns were in those with a population of 10,000 or more according to the 2006 census. In areas with an urban-rural mix, the enumeration areas covered both urban and rural areas. With regard to the rural stratum, all enumeration areas with at least 75% of their populations living in those rural areas were chosen.

The Deputy asked about the inclusion of conditions such as diabetes. I suspect the same response would be forthcoming from the CSO in this regard. The census is not the appropriate mechanism for compiling such specific data. I will arrange for the CSO officials involved with the census to explain how they managed to include or exclude certain questions. Thus, we will have a better understanding of whether the other surveys the CSO is constantly carrying out on a rolling basis could be used to compile the very specific information Members of this House clearly find useful and important.

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