Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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147. To ask the Taoiseach the measures being taken by the CSO for the preparation of the census due to Covid-19. [23109/20]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Covid-19 crisis has introduced a number of significant concerns and challenges to the planning and execution of the Census of Population, 2021 project. Foremost in the decision making, is the need to ensure the safety of the general public and CSO field staff, coupled with the need to deliver a Census that achieves the highest possible response rate, across all facets of Irish society.

Furthermore, the Census of Population is a major logistical operation that involves several large-scale activities including a nationwide recruitment campaign, the training of several thousand field staff, a cross-country transport operation and a field operation which involves enumerators calling in person to every dwelling in the country. The COVID-19 restrictions have delayed or prevented many key planning activities from taking place over recent months.

As a result, on 15 September, on the recommendation of the CSO, the Government formally postponed the date of the Census from 18 April 2021 to 3 April 2022.