Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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40. To ask the Taoiseach if there are plans for the Central Statistics Office to update its census questions in order to collect accurate and specific information regarding persons who experience a combination of vision and hearing loss with an intellectual, physical, or other disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27006/15]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The next census of population will take place on 24 April next year. This is a major undertaking for the Central Statistics Office and requires detailed forward planning in order for census enumerators to call at every home in Ireland to deliver in the region of 1.8 million census forms.

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 is being 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 format of the question on disability used in 2011, and being repeated in 2016, was agreed by the Census Advisory Group which was established to assist the CSO in developing the 2011 questionnaire. This group comprised representatives of central and local government, the social partners, universities, research bodies and other users of census data, along with the relevant CSO personnel. The group reviewed over 90 submissions for new questions or changes to existing questions during the course of their work. In addition a specific sub-group, comprised of representatives from the National Disability Authority, the Equality Authority, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies was convened to consider the disability-related questions on the census form. The current format of the disability question was tested successfully in the April 2009 Census Pilot Survey and the Government subsequently accepted the advice of the CSO and the Census Advisory Group to accept this format of the question.

The exact format of the question is outlined below, and persons can choose multiple categories of disabilities. As censuses of population are traditionally held at five-yearly intervals in Ireland it is intended that should there be a census in 2021 a full public consultation on the questions to be asked will be conducted in advance.

Q. 16. Do you have any of the following long-lasting conditions or difficulties?

(a) Blindness or a serious vision impairment Yes No

(b) Deafness or a serious hearing impairment Yes No

(c) A difficulty with basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying Yes No

(d) An intellectual disability Yes No

(e) A difficulty with learning, remembering or concentrating Yes No

(f ) A psychological or emotional condition Yes No

(g) A difficulty with pain, breathing, or any other chronic illness or condition Yes No

Q.17. If ‘Yes’ to any of the categories specified in Question 16, do you have any difficulty in doing any of the following?

(a) Dressing, bathing or getting around inside the home Yes No

(b) Going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor’s surgery Yes No

(c) Working at a job or business or attending school or college Yes No

(d) Participating in other activities, for example leisure or using transport Yes No.