Growing Up in Ireland (GUI).
Growing Up in Ireland is the national longitudinal study of children and young people, a joint project of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The CSO is the data controller for GUI data. GUI collects data on a range of topics including childcare, family structures, education and training, physical and mental health, housing, and employment.
Access by the CSO to GUI data is underpinned and provided for by Section 24 of the Statistics Act 1993 - ‘Invitation to provide information on a voluntary basis’. The exercise by the Office of its powers under Section 24 of the Act is undertaken in the context of its legally designated functions, which are set out at Section 10 of the 1993 Act.
There are currently three groups or cohorts surveyed by the GUI project. Two of these have been surveyed since GUI began, they are Cohort ’98 most of whom were born in 1998; and Cohort ’08 most of whom were born in 2008. Data is collected from and about the child/young person, their parents/guardians, teachers and school principals. Data collection for a new birth cohort, Cohort ‘24, commenced in Q4 2023. GUI is different from most surveys in that it is longitudinal, i.e., it collects data from the same group over a long period of time. This allows the measurement of outcomes in later life for people with different experiences of growing up.
The legal basis for processing is underpinned by Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which concerns processing necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
Certain data variables received from GUI contain special category data and, in these instances, processing is in line with Article 9(2)(j) where processing is necessary for statistical purposes, and Article 10 processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences and is permitted under Sections 42(1)(c), 54(c), 55(1)(a), and 55(2)(e) of the Data Protection Act 2018.
Personal data is held on GUI participants including contact details, household composition, PPSNs and CAO numbers (Cohort '98 only). Special category data is also collected, specifically: ethnicity, religion, health (including mental health), political views, trade union membership, sexual orientation and behaviour.
The results are only ever made available to the public in aggregate form and we make sure that it is impossible for individuals to be identified. Anonymised survey information may also be provided to other government departments, approved organisations and approved researchers for statistical purposes only.
The data will be used extensively by relevant stakeholders, national agencies, government departments and the media.
All information supplied to the CSO is treated as strictly confidential. The Statistics Act, 1993 sets stringent confidentiality standards: information collected may be used only for statistical purposes and no details that might be related to an identifiable person may be divulged to any other government department or body.
Because GUI is a longitudinal survey it is necessary to hold personal details such as name and address for the full duration of the survey so that participants can be included in each new wave of data collection. At present there is a data collection plan in place for all three cohorts in GUI until at least 2030, so your personal details will continue to be kept until then. In 2030 data retention will be reviewed and any decision to retain data beyond this point will depend on plans for any future data collection.
The CSO engage a fieldwork partner organisation to conduct participant interviews by phone. In order to allow the interviewers contact survey participants, the CSO provide them with participant contact details. An agreement is in place to ensure that data is only used for the purposes specified and is not retained unnecessarily.
In certain specific cases, pseudonymised versions of data may be made available to approved researchers under strict researcher protocols and detailed governance procedures.
One of the core principles governing the operation of National Statistical Institutes is the protection of the confidentiality of all information supplied by data providers. The CSO’s ability to compile Official Statistics is based on the extent to which individuals and companies trust the CSO with sensitive information and the CSO’s guarantee of confidentiality for all data providers is built on the fundamental requirement of non-disclosure of confidential data as set out in national and EU statistical legislation.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) confers the following rights on individuals:
An individual right of access to the personal data furnished by a Public Service Bodies (PSB) is possible. Data Subjects seeking to exercise GDPR rights over their personal data may wish to engage with the source PSB as the controller of first instance.
Should you wish to exercise these rights directly via the CSO, because your data is processed for statistical purposes, certain limitations in accordance with Article 89 of the GDPR may apply. This is due to the fact that the exercise of any of these rights may render impossible, or seriously impair, the achievement of the statistical processing and such restriction may be necessary for the fulfilment of those purposes. Should you wish to exercise your rights in respect of your GUI data, you may contact the CSO Data Protection Officer using the contact details below. Applications for access will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. It is the intention of the Office to vindicate these rights wherever possible.
Data about a child/young person will be collected by way of direct interviews with them. Additional data about the child/young person may also be collected from their parent/guardian(s), childminder, teacher and school principal, as relevant to their age.
Data about the child's parent/guardian(s) will be collected by way of direct interviews with them. Additional data about the parent/guardian may also be collected from the child's other parent/guardian.
The CSO uses administrative data to complement or replace survey data, to make its statistical operations more efficient or to create new insights or products. This enables the CSO to reduce response burden and costs imposed by surveys, and to improve data quality and timeliness. The use of administrative data is governed by strictly controlled procedures in line with the Statistics Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All data obtained by the CSO are used solely for statistical purposes and the results of the analysis will not in any way allow you or your family to be identified.
Details of the CSO Data Protocol and data matching projects can be seen at https://www.cso.ie/en/aboutus/lgdp/csodatapolicies/csodataprotocol/.
| Administrative Data Sources currently used in GUI | |
|---|---|
| Department of Education | Post Primary Student Database |
| Department of Social Protection | Child Benefit Data; Central Record System – Client Details, Payment and Employment Details; Long and Short Term Social Welfare Payments |
| General Register Office | Registered Births Data |
| Health Service Executive | COVAX Vaccination Dataset |
| Higher Education Authority | Higher Education (including Springboard) Course and Awards Data |
| Local Authority HAP Shared Services Centre | Housing Assistance Payments |
| Office of Revenue Commissioners | Income Tax Forms 11/12 and PAYE Income Data |
| SOLAS | Apprenticeship Course and Awards Data |
| State Examinations Commission | Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied Examination Results |
| Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) | Grant Application and Payment Data |
| Quality and Qualifications Ireland | QQI Course and Awards Data |
Examples of variables being received by the CSO are outlined under categories of personal data above.
|
Data Collection |
Dr Amanda Quail, Statistician, Household Data Collection |
Central Statistics Office, Ardee Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6, DO6 FX52 +353 1 498 4000 |
|
GUI Cohort '98 |
Daniel Watts, Statistician, Growing Up in Ireland |
Central Statistics Office, Ardee Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6, DO6 FX52 +353 1 498 4094 |
|
GUI Cohort '08 |
Caragh Stapleton, Statistician, Growing Up in Ireland |
Central Statistics Office, Ardee Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6, DO6 FX52 +353 1 498 4117 |
|
GUI Cohort '24 |
Bridget Hearne, Statistician, Growing Up in Ireland |
Central Statistics Office, Ardee Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6, DO6 FX52 +353 1 498 4127 |
Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission if you consider that processing of your personal data is contrary to data protection law. The contact details of the Commission are:
| Postal Address | Office of the Data Protection Commission, 21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland |
| Email Address | info@dataprotection.ie |
| Telephone Number | +353 1 765 0100 / 1800 437 737 |
| Online Form | https://www.dataprotection.ie/ |
The CSO’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this Transparency Notice. If you have any questions about this notice, including any request to exercise your legal rights, please contact or send them to:
| Postal Address | CSO Data Protection Officer, Central Statistics Office, Skehard Road, T12 X00E |
|---|---|
| Telephone Number | +353 21 453 5000 |
| Email Address | dpo@cso.ie |