As Ireland’s National Statistical Office, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) holds a unique and trusted role in providing independent, high-quality Official Statistics that describe our society, economy, and environment. Through this work, the CSO supports evidence-informed decision-making, strengthens public accountability, and fosters trust in the use of data for the public good. The publication of this Data Strategy marks a significant milestone for the CSO, setting out a clear and shared vision for how Official Statistics will continue to serve the public good and reaffirms CSO’s leadership role in shaping Ireland’s data ecosystem."
In a data landscape that is evolving rapidly, together with a changing legislative environment both at a European and national level, the foundation of Official Statistics continues to rest on the collection and analysis of robust primary data. Surveys and censuses remain essential to ensure completeness, representativeness, and accuracy. However, the use of administrative and secondary data sources, combined with advanced analytical capabilities, is reshaping how statistical value is created. The CSO will continue to champion the integration of these data sources while safeguarding the values of statistical confidentiality, integrity and the quality of Official Statistics.
At the heart of this transformation are our people. Their expertise, commitment and adaptability are widely recognised and central to the achievement of this strategy. The CSO is committed to continue enhancing the capabilities of our teams and to sharing our skills and expertise to support the wider data ecosystem.
Data standards and interoperability as well as consistent metadata, classifications, and quality frameworks will ensure that Ireland’s data ecosystem remains connected, efficient, and fit for purpose in a digital era. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) present significant opportunities to enhance the way data are processed, analysed, and disseminated. At the same time, its responsible use must be guided by strong governance, standards, transparency, and ethical principles — areas where the CSO will continue to provide leadership together with our mandate to advise on data issues more generally.
The CSO remains committed to reducing the burden on data providers. The strengthening of the CSO’s secondary data first principle will be necessary to achieve this goal. By applying smarter collection methods, and expanding our data engineering capabilities, we can deliver richer insights while minimising duplication and reporting demands on citizens and businesses alike.
This data strategy has been developed in conjunction with our new Statement of Strategy which sets out the aims, priorities, and strategic direction for the CSO over the next three years. Our data strategy will also provide direction to our Technology and People (Le Cheile) strategies which are currently under development.
Welcome Note
As Ireland’s National Statistical Office, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) holds a unique and trusted role in providing independent, high-quality Official Statistics that describe our society, economy, and environment. Through this work, the CSO supports evidence-informed decision-making, strengthens public accountability, and fosters trust in the use of data for the public good. The publication of this Data Strategy marks a significant milestone for the CSO, setting out a clear and shared vision for how Official Statistics will continue to serve the public good and reaffirms CSO’s leadership role in shaping Ireland’s data ecosystem."
In a data landscape that is evolving rapidly, together with a changing legislative environment both at a European and national level, the foundation of Official Statistics continues to rest on the collection and analysis of robust primary data. Surveys and censuses remain essential to ensure completeness, representativeness, and accuracy. However, the use of administrative and secondary data sources, combined with advanced analytical capabilities, is reshaping how statistical value is created. The CSO will continue to champion the integration of these data sources while safeguarding the values of statistical confidentiality, integrity and the quality of Official Statistics.
At the heart of this transformation are our people. Their expertise, commitment and adaptability are widely recognised and central to the achievement of this strategy. The CSO is committed to continue enhancing the capabilities of our teams and to sharing our skills and expertise to support the wider data ecosystem.
Data standards and interoperability as well as consistent metadata, classifications, and quality frameworks will ensure that Ireland’s data ecosystem remains connected, efficient, and fit for purpose in a digital era. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) present significant opportunities to enhance the way data are processed, analysed, and disseminated. At the same time, its responsible use must be guided by strong governance, standards, transparency, and ethical principles — areas where the CSO will continue to provide leadership together with our mandate to advise on data issues more generally.
The CSO remains committed to reducing the burden on data providers. The strengthening of the CSO’s secondary data first principle will be necessary to achieve this goal. By applying smarter collection methods, and expanding our data engineering capabilities, we can deliver richer insights while minimising duplication and reporting demands on citizens and businesses alike.
This data strategy has been developed in conjunction with our new Statement of Strategy which sets out the aims, priorities, and strategic direction for the CSO over the next three years. Our data strategy will also provide direction to our Technology and People (Le Cheile) strategies which are currently under development.
Jennifer Banim
Director General