List of abbreviations
CSO Central Statistics Office
DSGBV Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
EU-GBV European Gender-based Violence survey
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
MoU Memorandum of Understanding
LG Liaison Group
RMF Researcher Microdata File
SG Steering Group
TOR Terms of Reference
Definition of Terms
Act The Statistics Act, 1993
2018 Act The Data Protection Act, 2018
2023 Act The Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Agency Act, 2023
Breach Has the meaning assigned by Article 4(12) of the GDPR
Controller Has the meaning assigned by Article 4(7) of the GDPR
Personal Data Has the meaning assigned by Article 4(1) of the GDPR
Processing Has the meaning assigned by Article 4(2) of the GDPR
Project Work associated with the Survey’s delivery
Strategy The Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Survey The survey on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Context and background
- EU Directive (2024/1385) of the European Parliament and of the Council on combatting violence against women and domestic violence, calls for administrative data and regular population surveys to measure all forms of violence against women.
- In response to this policy need, Eurostat has been tasked with preparing the second round of the EU Gender-based Violence survey to be completed across EU member states in 2027, and thereafter on a 5-year cycle. The EU-GBV is a voluntary survey designed to produce comparable data across the EU on the basis of a common questionnaire and methodology.
- The Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based violence (the ‘Strategy’) also outlines a significant policy need for better quality information on the prevalence of domestic and gender-based violence in Ireland.
- To accurately measure the national prevalence of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence it is necessary to conduct the EU Gender-based Violence survey (the ‘Survey’).
- As detailed below under ‘Legal background’, the Statistics Act, 1993 (the ‘Act’) and the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency Act, 2023 (the ‘2023 Act’) provide for cooperation in relation to such matters.
- This MoU constitutes an arrangement between the CSO and Cuan under Section
11(1) of the Act for the duration of the work associated with the Survey’s delivery (the ‘Project’).
Purpose of the MoU
- The purpose of this MoU is to clarify the roles and responsibilities of, as well as the areas of cooperation between the CSO and Cuan with regard to the Project and the Survey.
- This agreement is an MoU and is not intended to create binding or legal obligations on either Party. The MoU is entered into on the understanding that it is subordinate to the relevant legislation, set out below under ‘Legal background’, governing each Party.
- This MoU also sets out a shared understanding of the parties in relation to data protection issues that may arise and roles relating to the compilation, transfer, and use of information associated with the Survey. The processing of personal data is governed by the Act, the Data Protection Act, 2018, (the ‘2018 Act’), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- The purpose of the MOU is to support joint working and a programmatic approach to the successful delivery of the survey.
Establishment of the parties
- The CSO was established in 1949 and became a statutory body in 1994 under the Act.
- Cuan was established by the 2023 Act and opened in 2024.
The role of the parties
The CSO
Section 10 of the Act provides that the CSO has:
- Functions in the collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions in the State
- Authority to co-ordinate official statistics compiled by public authorities to ensure, in particular, adherence to statistical standards and the use of appropriate classifications
- Authority to assess the statistical potential of the records maintained by public authorities and to ensure that the potential is realised
- Legal obligations regarding the development, production, and dissemination of European statistics under Regulation 223/2009
The CSO will be responsible for all elements of the Survey’s lifecycle .
The CSO will develop and share a project plan including projected costs with Cuan.
Cuan
Cuan is the statutory agency dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV). Cuan is an Agency under the aegis of the Dept of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and reports on its functions and actions in the implementation plan for Zero Tolerance to the Minister. Its main functions include:
- Delivering excellent services to victims of DSGBV, including delivering on the number of safe and accessible accommodation spaces available, as well as ensuring that helpline and other supports are available to anyone requiring them
- Putting in place a robust set of national service standards and governance arrangements to ensure adherence to the appropriate standards for such supports
- Leading on consistent and ongoing research to inform DSGBV policy development, working with others such as the CSO who have data projects underway
- Leading on awareness-raising campaigns designed to reduce the incidence of DSGBV in Irish society, as well as, ensuring that all victims know how to access the supports they require
- Coordinating all government actions set out in the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (the ‘Strategy’) and reporting on their delivery to the Minister for Justice
Cuan will act as the sponsoring body for the Survey.
Responsibilities of each Party
Data Breaches
- In the event of a breach relating to survey data, the CSO will inform the Data Protection Officer of Cuan and also inform Cuan of the breach through the Steering group (SG). This notification will be made within 24 hours. In addition, the CSO will refer to its own breach procedures. Cuan will not be held responsible for any loss, damage or injury caused as a result of such a breach.
- The CSO will inform Cuan through the SG, in advance, of any decision to issue a public statement in relation to the breach. Similarly, Cuan will inform the CSO through the SG, in advance, of any decision to issue a public statement in relation to the breach.
- Cuan will not be required to provide additional data or operational support in respect of the notification of data subjects in the event of a breach relating to the survey data.
Survey design and completion
As outlined above, the CSO will be responsible for all elements the Survey’s lifecycle, including:
- The development and adaptation of the survey instrument(s) for an Irish context
- The development and design of variables to be included that can, as far as possible, meet national user needs in this area
- The conduct, including all methodological issues, of the Survey
- The preparation, including content and timing, of written text reporting and analysis
- The delivery of data to Eurostat on time and in accordance with the EU-GBV standards outlined in the relevant methodological documents.
The CSO will be solely responsible for publishing the results in line with Section 13(a)(c) of the Act. This will take the form of releases and publications that contain appropriate, accessible content, primarily descriptive statistics. In designing statistical outputs, the CSO will be mindful of all inputs on stakeholder needs elicited during consultations.
Cuan will be responsible for sponsoring and supporting the work, including via:
- Provision of advice on the Survey, particularly on data requirements, to ensure that it captures key policy and data needs and where necessary, will aid in prioritising demands
- To that end, Cuan will lead the scoping process to develop a data request to the CSO and will engage with the CSO throughout this process
- Through the Project, Cuan will engage through attendance at SG meetings
- Liaising with and managing the wider stakeholder network
- Reporting and briefing to the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration 6. Provision of funding, as detailed below under ‘Funding’
Funding
- As, the sponsoring body, Cuan is committed to providing necessary funding to the CSO to support full delivery of the Survey, subject to the budgetary process.
- The CSO will provide cost estimates to Cuan on an annual basis for incorporation into the estimates process. The CSO will generate an invoice twice a year to cover the relevant six month period. As part of the reporting functions in the SG, the CSO will share the actual expenditure incurred to Cuan. Any underspend will be put against the following year or be utilised otherwise in agreement with Cuan.
- It is recognised that, for the work to proceed, the CSO will require additional field force and headquarters staff to be made available in a timely manner. An indication of the numbers required broken down by year and by function cannot be determined until the methodology of the survey is agreed. Where details cannot be confirmed, the CSO will give Cuan the best available data on projected needs. Staffing commitments will be subject to approval by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.
- In the event that funding ceases to be made available, the Project will be suspended.
Legal background
- Processing of the data shall be done in accordance with the Act, the 2018 Act, the GDPR, EU law, and in accordance with the CSO’s code of Practice, in particular, where relevant, its protocol on data matching where one or more datasets originate from outside of the CSO.
- The CSO’s collection and processing of the data is covered by, inter alia, the following provisions:
- Section 10(1) of the Act, concerning the functions of the CSO in the collection, compilation, extraction, and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to economic, social, and general activities and conditions in the State
- Section 10(2) of the Act, concerning the authority of the CSO as regards co-ordination of official statistics compiled by public authorities and in ensuring, in particular, adherence to statistical standards and the use of appropriate classifications
- Section 10(3) of the Act, concerning the authority of the CSO to assess the statistical potential of the records maintained by public authorities and, in conjunction with them, to ensure that this potential is realised
- Section 11(1) of the Act, concerning co-operation and liaison with other public authorities and persons
- Section 13 of the Act, concerning the statistical independence of the Director General of the CSO
- Section 24 of the Act, concerning invitation of persons or undertakings to complete a form, questionnaire or other record, answer questions, or provide information or records on a voluntary basis
- Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR, concerning processing necessary for the exercise of official authority vested in the CSO
- Article 89 of the GDPR, concerning safeguards and derogations
relating to processing for statistical purposes
- Sections 32 and 33 of the Act, concerning the protection of information
- Section 42 of the 2018 Act, concerning processing for statistical purposes
- Article 9(2)(j) of the GDPR, concerning processing of special categories of personal data necessary for statistical purposes
- Section 54(1)(c) of the 2018 Act, concerning processing for statistical purposes
- Legislation underpinning Cuan’s operation will also support engagement associated with the Project and Survey, in particular:
- Section 6(1)(i) of the 2023 Act, concerning Cuan’s undertaking of, commissioning of, assistance in respect of, or collaboration in research
- Section 6(2)(b) of the 2023 Act, concerning Cuan’s engagement with public service bodies
Data transfer, security and storage
Data will be retained, securely stored, and processed by the CSO in accordance with CSO policies. An anonymised microdata file will be transferred to Eurostat to fulfil Ireland’s requirement for participation in the EU-Gender Based Violence project.
Steering Group
A Steering Group (SG) consisting of representatives from Cuan, DOJHAM and CSO will be convened to support oversight and joint working between the parties. The SG will support the Survey’s conduct as agreed between the parties and summarised in this MoU.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the SG will be agreed between Cuan, DOJHAM and the CSO. The Steering Group will be chaired by the CSO and by Cuan on a rotating basis, to be determined by the parties. The ToR will cover, amongst other things, membership, meeting frequency, and scope of work. Changes to the ToR must be jointly agreed by both parties.
The SG will meet on a regular basis to review progress against agreed milestones and assess and agree on funding requirements as the Project evolves.
Liaison Group
A Liaison Group (LG) will be established for the purpose of information sharing and advice in relation to the Project.
The LG will consist of representatives from the CSO, Cuan, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, specified non-governmental organisations, and other relevant experts. The Group will be chaired by the CSO and will, broadly:
- Provide a mechanism for the CSO and Cuan to share information on progress of the overall programme of work
- Advise on user needs and, where appropriate, prioritisation of demands
- Provide a mechanism for the CSO to leverage the experience and expertise of members in dealing with complex and sensitive subject matter and recognising the value of lived experience, lived expertise, and professional experience
Duration and review
This MoU will be published on the CSO website (www.cso.ie) and the Cuan website once it is established.
This MoU will remain in force until a new one is entered into or either the CSO or Cuan revoke it. Depending on events, this MoU may be amended, subject to the mutual agreement of Cuan and the CSO.
This MoU will be reviewed biennially by both Cuan and the CSO. Any changes to the MoU shall only be made with the mutual agreement of Cuan and the CSO.
Signed: Signed:
Central Statistics Office CUAN
Jennifer Banim Dr. Stephanie O’Keeffe
Director General Chief Executive Officer
Date: 09/07/2026 Date: 19/05/2026
