Purpose of Survey

The primary focus of the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) is the collection of information on the income and living conditions of different types of households in Ireland, in order to derive indicators on poverty, deprivation and social exclusion.  It is a voluntary (for selected respondents) survey of private households.  It is carried out under EU legislation (Council Regulation No 1177/2003) and commenced in Ireland in June 2003.  Information is collected continuously throughout the year with household interviews being conducted on a weekly basis.

Data Collection

The annual SILC survey is the main data source for SILC.  Information is collected from all household members on tablets by trained interviewers, using Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) software.

Weighting

A design weight is assigned to each household which is calculated as the inverse proportion to the probability with which the household was sampled.  For SILC, the probability of the selection of a household is based on two elements; the probability of the selection of a block and the probability of selection of a household within that block.  These weights are then calibrated to known population totals from census data and Labour Force Survey (LFS) data using the CALMAR macro in SAS.  This final weight is then applied to each individual in the household.

Classifications

Possession Status

The majority of the variables used in this release are concerned with households’ ownership of various items or else a household’s dwelling possessing certain features. These variables are classified by 'possession classification', which has the following three categories:

• Yes
• No, cannot afford
• No, other reason

Level of Accessibility

The access to services questions have the following response categories:

• with great difficulty
• with some difficulty
• easily
• very easily

Questionnaire

Household Technology and Appliances

• Do you own a mobile phone? (Yes/No)
  • If ‘No’, ask ‘Would you like to have a mobile phone but you cannot afford it?’ (Yes/No)
• I am going to ask you questions about whether or not the household possesses certain items. It does not matter whether the item is owned or rented. If the household does not have an item, could you please tell me whether the household: would like to have it but cannot afford it, or does not have it for other reasons?
  • Telephone (fixed line, not a mobile)
  • Colour TV
  • Satellite dish
  • DVD player
  • Video recorder
  • Stereo
  • CD Player
  • Camcorder/Palmcorder
  • Computer
  • Washing Machine
  • Clothes drier
  • Dishwasher
  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Fridge
  • Fridge with separate freezer section
  • Deep Freeze
  • Microwave
  • Deep fat fryer
  • Liquidiser
  • Food processor

Dwelling Features and Cars

• Does the dwelling have any or all of the following?
  • Double/Triple glazing? (Yes/No)
  • Burglar alarm? (Yes/No)
  • Smoke alarm? (Yes/No)
  • Garage? (Yes/No)
• Does your household have a car or van for private use? (Yes/No) [Note: Company cars or vans that are not available for private use are not included]
  • If no, is it because the household cannot afford to or is there another reason?

Local Environment

• Is noise from neighbours or noise from the street (traffic, business, factories etc) a problem for your household? (Yes/No)
• Is pollution, grime or other environmental problems in the area caused by traffic or industry a problem for your household? (Yes/No)
• Is crime, violence or vandalism in the area a problem for your household? (Yes/No)

Access to Services

The below set of questions have the following response categories: with great difficulty; with some difficulty; easily; very easily.

• Which of the following best describes your household’s ability to access (get to) a shop that sells groceries?
• Which of the following best describes your household’s ability to access (get to) a bank where you can withdraw cash and pay bills?
• Which of the following best describes your household’s ability to access (get to) a post office where you can post ordinary and parcel post?
• Which of the following best describes your household’s ability to access (get to) public transport?
• Which of the following best describes your household’s ability to access (get to) primary health care services? [Note: Primary health care services refers to a General Practitioner (GP), a primary health centre, a casualty department or similar, where first-aid treatment could be received.]