Almost 394,000 persons, representing 9.3 per cent of the total population, had a long lasting health problem or disability. Almost 269,000 (62%) of these persons had more than one disability - up from 188,000 (58.1%) in 2002. The questions on disability used in the 2006 census included three new categories of disability and one new category of difficulty compared with Census 2002.
This information is contained in Census 2006 Volume 11 - Disability, Carers and Voluntary Activities which gives further detailed results of the census conducted on 23 April 2006. This report contains results relating to disability, carers and voluntary activities covering the main demographic and socio-economic topics distinguished in the census (see Editor's note).
The incidence of disability was higher in urban than in rural areas (9.3% compared with 8.6%); among females than males (9.6% compared with 9%) and, not surprisingly, was age related - 58% per cent of persons with a disability were aged 50 years or over.
Among children aged 0 to 14 years, the number of boys with a disability was far higher than the number of girls, 21,183 compared with 12,073. In every category of disability there were more boys than girls, with the greatest difference in the learning or intellectual disability category (13,658 boys compared with 6,391 girls) and the difficulty in learning,
remembering and concentrating category (14,017 boys compared with 6,575 girls).
Of the 114,749 males age 15 to 64 years with a disability, 53,244 reported being in the labour force, a participation rate of 46.4 per cent. This compares with a participation rate of 81 per cent for all males in the same age group.
Persons with a disability represented 4 per cent of all persons at work in 2006.
The socio-economic group 'Agricultural workers' had the highest incidence of disability (11.9%). Those classified as 'Unskilled' follow at 11.5% with farmers next at 10.4%. 'Higher professionals' and 'Employers and managers' had the lowest disability rate (5.5%).
Of the 347,000 persons with a disability living in private households, one in five lived on his/her own in 2006. The corresponding proportion for those aged 65 years and over with a disability was one in three.
Almost 161,000 persons aged 15 years and over (representing 4.8% of all persons aged 15 and over) indicated that they provided regular unpaid help for someone with a long-term illness or disability in April 2006. More than one in four carers provide unpaid help for 43 hours or more each week and two thirds of these carers are women. Over half of all carers (90,544), indicated their principal economic status was at work.
A new question on voluntary activities was asked in Census 2006. Over 553,000 persons, representing 16.4% of the population aged 15 and over, were involved in voluntary activity. The 45-54 age group had the highest participation rate in voluntary activities; social or charitable work was the most common (193,000 persons) with sporting activities next at 180,000.
The publication Census 2006 - Principal Socio-economic Results, released on 21 June 2007, contains a summary at State level of data from Volumes 5 - 7, 9 - 10 and 13 of the detailed census reports. The publication released today, Volume 11, provides figures for disability, carers and voluntary activities at a more detailed level.
All published tables from Census 2006 are being made available on the CSO web site (www.cso.ie).
For copies of the publication contact:
Central Statistics Office, Information Section, Skehard Road, Cork. 021- 4535011
or
Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.
Price: €15 [Copies can also be downloaded from the CSO website (see below)].
Central Statistics Office, Swords Business Campus, Balheary Road, Swords, Co. Dublin.
Census Enquiries: (01) 895 1460/61/63/66
Fax: (01) 895 1399
E-mail: census@cso.ie
Internet: www.cso.ie
1 November 2007
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