The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is today (09 September 2024) asking households in parts of Dublin to complete the Census Pilot Survey. The Survey is a crucial part of preparations for Ireland’s next census in 2027. This will be the first census in Irish history where the public will have the option to complete their census form online. The Census Pilot Survey will test new questions and the online option.
Dublin is one of the counties chosen for the Census Pilot Survey which is taking place in 44 locations across a total of six counties.
Participating areas in Dublin include parts of:
A more detailed list and maps of the 16 areas in Dublin selected to take part are available to view on censuspilot.ie. The areas were selected to broadly represent the people living in Ireland and are a mix of urban and rural locations.
Letters of invitation have been posted to homes in the selected pilot areas, which explain how to complete the form online. They also explain how to get a paper form. Also, for the first time, forms should be completed for where you usually live and can be completed anytime between now and the official Census Pilot Survey night of 22 September 2024.
We are asking every household selected for this Survey to take part so we can evaluate our online option across a variety of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, or laptops. Both online and paper forms are available in Irish and English.
Census Field Support Officers (formerly known as enumerators) will be calling to homes in the selected areas in the coming weeks to tell people about the Census Pilot Survey and encourage them to take part. They will be wearing a yellow high-viz vest clearly branded as Census and will be carrying official CSO ID cards which you should ask to see.
As with all previous Census Pilot Surveys, the CSO will test new and changed questions ahead of Census 2027. This is to ensure the census accurately reflects our changing society. New questions on this Census Pilot Survey include:
These new questions, as well as updates to existing census questions, are the result of a public consultation on the potential content of the Census 2027 form. Once the responses are analysed, they will be used to guide the final recommendations of the Census Advisory Group. The final content of the Census 2027 form will be subject to Government approval.
The Census Pilot Survey is part funded by the European Union under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
Repro Free: The Census Pilot Survey 2024 is testing a new online form for the next census in selected areas around the country during September. Pictured at the announcement were Brendan Murphy - Senior Statistician, Eileen Murphy – Head of Census Administration and CSO staff. Picture Jason Clarke
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Repro Free: The Census Pilot Survey 2024 is testing a new online form for the next census in selected areas around the country during September. Pictured at the announcement were Brendan Murphy - Senior Statistician, Eileen Murphy – Head of Census Administration. Picture Jason Clarke
Download this image
Repro Free: The Census Pilot Survey 2024 is testing a new online form for the next census in selected areas around the country during September. Pictured at the announcement were Brendan Murphy - Senior Statistician, Eileen Murphy – Head of Census Administration and CSO staff. Picture Jason Clarke
Download this image| Kathleen Goulding | (+353) 1 895 1413 |
|---|---|
| Tony Downes | (+353) 1 895 1319 |
| censuspublicity@cso.ie | |
| pressoffice@cso.ie |
Statistician’s Comment
Eileen Murphy, Head of Census Administration, said: “If you receive our letter of invitation for the Census Pilot Survey, please take part. We need your help, and we cannot do this without you. By taking the time to complete the Survey, you will give us essential feedback on your experience of the online form and whether the questions are understood.
Traditionally, the purpose of a pilot census has been to test new and changed questions for the next census. In the case of this Census Pilot Survey, not only will the Survey help us test new questions, it also has the added importance of testing an online option for the first time in history of the Irish census.”
A report on the Census Pilot Survey will be published in 2025.