Application Process

Who is eligible to apply?

Only registered researchers working in registered research organisations in Ireland can apply to access CSO data for valid health research purposes. Applications for access will not be considered from commercial bodies.

Application Resources

You can find links to additional resources in support of your application below:

• HRCDC guidance on applying for a consent declaration and application form (please note that a dedicated HRCDC application form has been developed to facilitate applying for a consent declaration for the purpose of processing RMFs from the Health RDC)
• To check if your organisation is already registered with the CSO for the purpose of accessing RMFs, check the Register of Research Organisations.
• If your organisation is not listed, refer to the research organisation registration instructions on the CSO website.

You can find information on upcoming RDGB meetings and decisions in the corresponding section of our website. View details of upcoming RDGB meetings and decisions.

A list of frequently asked questions is available in our FAQ. If you require additional information, you can contact the RDGB Secretariat on HealthRDC@cso.ie

How to apply?

If you wish to apply for access to the Health Research Data Centre (RDC) for research purposes, this page will provide you with the information and resources you need. Please note that to apply for access to this data, you must be a registered researcher from a registered research organisation in Ireland. Information on the registration can be found in the Researcher Registration page.

Researchers will require separate approvals from their Research Ethics Committee (REC) and the Health Research Consent Declaration Committee (HRCDC) as well as a recommendation from the Research Data Governance Board (RDGB) before the CSO will consider granting access to Health RDC microdata.

Important Note:

The CSO has appointed a dedicated Researcher Liaison who can provide provisional advice to researchers on the availability of data flows, data sets, and data variables and on the CSO safeguards and protocols in advance of submitting an RDGB application. Please contact the Health RDC Statistician by emailing HealthRDC@cso.ie 

For an overview of the application process, the application process flow chart PDF can be downloaded from here.

Applicants are required to contact the CSO Researcher Liaison in advance of preparing and submitting their application to the RDGB Secretariat. This step will clarify any queries concerning both project feasibility and data requirements prior to the application review by the RDGB Secretariat.

Researchers are strongly encouraged to submit applications to REC and HRCDC at their earliest convenience to avoid delays in the approval process, as access to the data will not be considered until those approvals are received by the CSO.

From there, the application process is managed by the Research Data Governance Board (RDGB) Secretariat within the Central Statistics Office (CSO). 

Once an application is submitted, it is processed as follows:

• The RDGB Secretariat checks that applications are eligible and that they have been correctly completed. All eligible applications undergo a Health RDC preliminary review, to confirm that they are within the CSO scope.
• The RDGB then convenes to consider the application, in accordance with set criteria, for the purpose of advising the CSO whether the application is for a valid health research project.
• Should the RDGB advise the CSO to progress the application and the researcher provides the RDGB with evidence of approval from the REC and HRCDC submissions, the application is forwarded to the CSO for final approval using the Research Microdata File (RMF) process.

The CSO carries out a final review of the application for access to Health RDC data.

Applicants will be informed of the RDGB meeting where their application will be reviewed.

To apply to the RDGB for access to the Health RDC, please complete and submit the following application form, consulting with the guidance notes provided below. 

Download application form

The RDGB application form must be completed by the Lead Researcher and submitted by email in MS Word (.doc) format to rcu@cso.ie.