John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

The final figures would not be available until approximately June of 2012. The Deputy asked me to make a particular effort for the unemployed. In that regard, there is an open and fair competition for the job of enumerator and people are not precluded from applying for the job. That said, I would like to reiterate that the positions are being actively advertised with FÁS, etc. However, there is no policy stating it can only be a particular cohort and it is an open and transparent application and processing system.

The Deputy made an interesting point with regard to gated communities. I do not know how enumerators gained access to the gated communities, but the feedback from the last census was that they were very diligent at their work and lack of access did not transpire to be the reality. The enumerators gained access and there were very few places where they did not get a response.

Deputy Stagg also referred to how census questions are formulated. We could all put forward opinions on what should or could be included. However, a procedure took place and the content of the census questionnaire was agreed following extensive consultation with all Departments and the public. For the 2011 census, the consultation took place between August and November of 2008. Submissions were invited from the public by way of public notice in the press and all Departments and a range of interested bodies were written to inviting their input. As I mentioned earlier, some 91 submissions were received, covering 31 different topics. The CSO was then assisted by a census advisory group. In addition, three separate subgroups were convened to discuss and agree questions on disability, education and the enumeration of the homeless. All the new questions and changes to the existing questions were then tested in a pilot survey in July 2009. The decision on which questions to test in the survey was made following extensive debate among the members of the advisory group, which took into account several of the issues raised in submissions in its deliberations. It is not possible to say this was down to an individual. There was a thorough consultation process, an advertisement was placed publicly, all Departments and users of this information were asked for their input in the formulation of the appropriate questions and the amended questions were subsequently tested.

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