Press Statement

Preasráiteas

10 July 2019

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is pleased to announce that Government has decided that the next census will be held on Sunday the 18th of April 2021. Government has also approved the questions that will appear on the census form.

Between October and November 2017, the CSO held a public consultation and invited submissions on the content of the form for the 2021 census. Members of the public, interest groups, Government Departments, local authorities and other public bodies, as well as the research and academic communities, made over 400 submissions to the CSO. These included suggestions for new questions and changes to existing questions on the form.

The submissions were considered by the Census Advisory Group (CAG) (see Editor’s note) which agreed on the questions that should be tested in the Census Pilot Survey. The Pilot was carried out in September 2018 in 35 Enumeration Areas across 7 counties. These areas were chosen to be representative of the national population, and over 10,000 households participated in the pilot.

Following an examination of the Pilot results, the CAG recommended the introduction of 8 new questions in Census 2021. The new questions will be on renewable energy sources, internet access and devices, smoke alarms, smoking, working from home, volunteering, childcare and travelling home from work, school or college. Changes were agreed to 25 existing questions including disability, ethnic group, religion and the Irish language.

The 2021 census form will also include a Time Capsule for the first time. This will enable members of the public to write a voluntary and confidential message of their choice which will be securely stored for 100 years.

Commenting on the consultation and Pilot Survey, Cormac Halpin, Senior Statistician, said: “Today’s announcement brings to an end a phase of work that commenced almost two years ago with the public consultation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who made submissions, and those who served on the CAG. I also want to record my appreciation for the thousands of people who participated in and those who worked on the Pilot last year. Their combined efforts and support have helped to produce a census form with many changes, that will provide a rich source of information on our society and economy, including important new areas and issues such as renewable energy, smoking and working from home.

The value of the statistical information provided by the census cannot be overestimated. It drives policy, targets services where needed and informs our decisions at a time of continuing social change. There is an international element to the next census as every other EU member state will also be required to carry out a census in 2021. With less than two years to go, the preparations are well underway and securing government approval for the date and questionnaire marks a major milestone for Census 2021.”

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