Written answers

Tuesday, 28 March 2006

Department of An Taoiseach

Official Census

11:00 pm

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 127: To ask the Taoiseach if the upcoming census will include a question as to whether the respondent is a member of the Roma community; and if so, the steps the Central Statistics Office will take to prevent undercounting of this community. [11893/06]

Photo of Tom KittTom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Central Statistics Office began a consultation process in November 2003 to consider topics to be included in the 2006 census which will be taken on 23 April. Notices were placed in the national press and on the CSO website inviting public submissions on the suggested content of the 2006 census questionnaire.

A broadly-based consultative group was set up in December 2003 to assist the CSO in assessing the merits of the various submissions received. The group agreed the content of the test questionnaire which was used in a census pilot survey. The survey was carried out in April 2004 and covered approximately 8,000 households in selected areas throughout the country. The results of the census pilot survey were discussed with the consultative group following which the director general of CSO submitted a list of proposed topics to Government for its approval. The Government decided on the final content of the census 2006 questionnaire in January 2005.

Among the new questions included in the 2006 census form is question no.14 on ethnicity or cultural background. The layout of the question was agreed with the consultative committee on racism and interculturalism, the Equality Authority and Pavee Point. The question wording is as follows:

14. What is your ethnic or cultural background?

Choose ONE section from A to D, then the appropriate box.

A White

1 Irish

2 Irish Traveller

3 Any other White background

B Black or Black Irish

4 African

5 Any other Black background

C Asian or Asian Irish

6 Chinese

7 Any other Asian background

D Other, including mixed background

8 Other, write in description

While a specific box is not provided for members of the Roma community, it will be possible for them, should they wish, to indicate an affiliation to the Roma community, to write in the appropriate description in section 8 of question no. 14. These descriptions can then be separately coded and depending on the number of respondents it may be possible to identify the Roma community as a separate publication category.

With a view to maximising public awareness, the CSO is conducting an intensive publicity campaign commencing with the census launch on 29 March. The campaign will run for eight weeks and will make use of radio, TV, press and outdoor media. The emphasis will be on the comprehensive and inclusive nature of the census which is summed up in the census 2006 copy line "BE PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE". CSO's independence and the confidentiality of the information supplied will also be stressed. Particular attention is being paid to the enumeration of minority population groups.

The 2006 census form has been translated into 11 foreign languages to assist anyone who is not familiar with English or Irish. Romanian is included among these languages and this should be of particular assistance to members of the Roma community. As part of the fieldwork preparations CSO staff have made contact with immigrant groups both at national and local levels to explain the importance of ensuring that everyone is enumerated on census day. As recently as 21 March a seminar on census 2006 was organised as part of national day against racism. The attendance at the seminar included members of the Roma community.

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