› What is the Census?
› When is the next Census?
› When was the last Census?
› Why do we have a Census?
› Is it compulsory?
› Why do I have to give my name?
› Why are so many questions asked?
› Who carries out the Census?
› Confidential! What about hackers?
› Why can't I make my return electronically?
› How long will it take me to fill out my form?
The census is an account of everybody in the country on Census Night. On Census Night, everyone in the country must be included on a census form and be part of the official count of people and dwellings that usually happens every five years in Ireland. The About Census 2011 section of this site gives more detailed information.
The next census will take place on the night of Sunday April 10, 2011 and will count all the people and households in the country on that night.
The last census took place on the night of Sunday April 23, 2006. On that night everybody who was in the State had to be included in a census form, including people for example staying with friends or relatives, staying in a hotel, hospital, guesthouse or on board a vessel.
The census results are essential tools which are needed for effective policy, planning and decision making purposes. At national level current population statistics are necessary for planning the provision of health care, education, employment, etc.
Regional figures are critical for determining regional policy and for the operation of regional authorities (e.g. Health Boards). The greatest strength of the census is the provision of detailed population figures at local level. These help to identify likely demand for schools and hospitals, areas of relatively high unemployment, the best location for new shops, etc.
The census is also the only means of accurately measuring the exact extent of migration. By comparing the results of successive censuses, and taking account of the number of births and deaths that have occurred over the same period, we get an accurate measure of net migration (the difference between inward and outward migration).
Yes. Everybody present in the country on Census Night must be included. This is the law.
The name is necessary to ensure that everyone in the household is covered and to assist the householder in ensuring that the correct personal information for each individual is recorded. The name also helps identify where forms are missing or duplicated. Names may assist in the identification of families within households. They are not retained as part of the computerised information.
Every census includes questions on basic demographic and social topics such as age, sex, marital status, education, employment status and occupation. The census is a unique opportunity to gather valuable information and the CSO tries to maintain a balance between on the one hand the need for information and, on the other, minimising the burden on respondents. The household form contains questions relating to household characteristics and individuals. The responses to the questions on household characteristics provide important information on the quality of our housing stock.
The census is organised by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) which employs a temporary field force of nearly 4,800 persons to carry out the census at local and regional level. Census forms are distributed to every household and communal establishment by about 4,400 census enumerators who also collect the completed census forms. All census enumerators carry ID cards. Find out more about what is involved for CSO in organising a census available on the 'About Census 2011' page!
CSO has taken all possible security measures to ensure that our systems are safe from outside interference. In the highly unlikely event that these security measures are breached, the fact that names and addresses are not transferred to the computer would imply that no information directly related to an individual or household could be extracted.
The census is a major logistical operation. Facilitating responses electronically raises significant security and administrative concerns. Each person (or household) making a return by Internet would have to be issued with a unique user identification and password to ensure the integrity of the forms returned. It is not clear at this stage whether the benefits of allowing forms to be returned electronically outweigh the costs involved (e.g. tracking non-respondents, removing duplicates, maintaining progress of the field operation). In line with other statistical offices world-wide CSO will continue to monitor the effectiveness of introducing this option.
The length of time it will take you to complete your census form will depend on the number of persons in the household.
It should take an average household less than 30 minutes to complete a census form.