Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

27. To ask the Taoiseach whether the Central Statistics Office has engaged with disability representative organisations, the HSE or relevant Government departments regarding the adequacy of census data on people with intellectual disabilities for long-term service planning; whether any review of the disability questions is planned ahead of the next census. [58776/26]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Referred to CSO For answer

The CSO held a public consultation between 30 November 2022 and 20 January 2023 which invited submissions on the content of the form for the 2027 Census of Population. Over 400 submissions were received. The CSO convened a Census Advisory Group (CAG) who met in June 2023 to discuss the submissions. The group is made up of representatives of Government departments, public bodies, the social partners, research institutes and CSO personnel. Their remit was to assist the CSO in the framing of the Census 2027 questionnaire.

The CAG then agreed a selection of new topics and where necessary, changes to existing questions that could be included in Census 2027. All proposed questions were tested in a pilot census in September 2024. The CSO carried out an analysis of pilot census results and presented the findings to the CAG. The final recommendations of the CAG were brought to government for approval.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) in advance of the next Census in 2031 will, as with previous years, invite submissions for possible changes to the Census Form, from representatives of Government departments, public bodies, the social partners, research institutes and CSO personnel.