Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of An Taoiseach

Census of Population Statistics

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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33. To ask the Taoiseach if it is the case that the Central Statistics Office does not plan to engage in any public consultation on the development of questions for the next scheduled census in 2016; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that no new questions will be added and it will be virtually identical to Census 2011; his views that this presents a serious obstacle to the accurate measuring of some statistics, such as the question on religion which is largely recognised as vague and misleading and includes other questions which have been rendered redundant, such as questions on water supply and sewerage; if he has had any consultation with the CSO on the forthcoming census; if the CSO will commit to a process of public consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35826/14]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Census of Population is a very large statistical, administrative and logistical exercise that must be conducted with great care and professionalism. It requires careful and detailed advance planning and the 2016 census will cost the exchequer some €50 million over the three years from 2015 to 2017.

Given the recent budgetary environment that Ireland has experienced the Central Statistics Office conducted an extensive user consultation on the continuing need for a five-yearly census in Ireland. The response to that consultation showed overwhelming support for a five-yearly census and the enormous value that the data brings, with particular emphasis on the value of small area data that only the census can provide. The Government accordingly decided that a census will be undertaken in 2016. Census day will be 24th April 2016.

The CSO works hard to ensure that the information collected and provided from the census remains current, relevant and of maximum use to the public. It has been common practice in advance of each census to conduct a public consultation on possible new questions and changes to existing questions, which are then considered by a specially convened Census Advisory Group in advance of testing in the field in the form of a pilot survey of some 12,000 dwellings. Unfortunately given the very tight budget circumstances in 2013 and 2014, with constraints on resources right across the public sector, it was not possible to pursue this route for census 2016. Accordingly the 2016 census will be run as a ‘no-change’ census with the questions on the 2016 questionnaire remaining unchanged from those used in the 2011 census, with the exception of the question on marital status.

The Government believes that the results from the 2016 census, in the form of some 700 statistical tables, hundreds of user-generated reports, interactive mapping and small-area profile reports, and a detailed micro-data file on travel and work patterns that is unique to Ireland, will be of great benefit to citizens, businesses and public bodies across Ireland.

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