To create greater transparency and a basis for system-wide prioritisation, the Central Statistics Office should pursue present efforts to create a consolidated work programme for the Irish statistical system, comprising both Other National Authorities developing, producing, and disseminating European statistics and other producers of Irish official statistics. (Improvement-related: ES CoP, Indicator 1.5).
The CSO publishes a comprehensive Statistical Work Programme annually on the Office’s direct activities. The Statistical Work Programme outlines the statistical outputs for the year ahead and the legislative underpinning for each output, distinguishing between Irish Official (national) and European Statistics. This is complemented by a follow-up progress report on the Programme. While other public authorities are increasingly developing their own statistical work programmes, and the CSO has also developed a Register of Official Statistics, there is not a consolidated national Statistical Work Programme for the Irish Statistical System.
The CSO has commenced work in developing a consolidated national Statistical Work Programme for the Irish Statistical System, building on progress made on the creation of a Register of National Statistics. This involved coordinating with all public authorities involved in the production of Official Statistics and monitoring subsequent progress of these products.
The information provided in the work plan on CPS planned statistical products is based on the content contained in the Register of Official Statistics. This register details the statistical outputs produced by government Departments and other public sector bodies across the Irish Statistical System (ISS).
Prepare a first version of a consolidated work programme. The CSO will prepare a first version of a consolidated work programme in 2023 detailing the Official Statistics that the CSO intends to produce for 2023 and the statistical work plans for a few other producers of national and European statistics in Ireland from across the Civil and Public Service (CPS).
Q2 2023.
Central Statistics Office and all public authorities producing Official Statistics.
Consolidate the national Statistical Work Programme for the Irish Statistical System. The CSO will continue to promote the National Statistical work plan across the statistical system so that coverage of statistics produced by other national authorities will increase over time.
Q4 2023.
Central Statistics Office and all public authorities producing Official Statistics.
The reviewed Other National Authorities (Department of Health, Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency) should build on and carry through current efforts to improve the provision of metadata, strengthen data access, document quality policies and publish European Statistics directly for an Irish audience. (Improvement-related: ES CoP, Indicators 8.4, 2.2, 4.1 and 15.1).
The Environmental Protection Agency has had two European statistical products ISS CoP certified, namely the Waste Framework Directive report and the Joint OECD Eurostat Municipal Indicator. The Department of Health has had seven European statistical products ISS CoP certified, namely the additional module for Eurostat statistics (Joint Questionnaire on Non - Monetary Health Care statistics), the Common module WHO-OECD-Eurostat on Health Care Activities, Health Employment, Hospital discharges, Physical resources, and Workforce Migration. All these products for the two ONAs were also assessed against the ES CoP. The Department of Justice continues to engage in the ISS CoP certification process regarding the European Statistics they produce, and again assessment against the ES CoP will follow.
CSO supports the other national authorities on metadata, data access, statistical confidentiality and documenting quality CSO continues to provide support to the Department of Justice, Department of Health and the Environment Protection Agency to improve the provision of metadata, strengthen data access, apply statistical confidentiality and document the quality policies relating to their process and outputs. These supports include encouraging them to engage with the ISS COP certification process further and providing guidance to them in achieving this goal. CSO will also provide training and workshops to promote the use of best practice quality standards in these areas. CSO will also continue to provide assistance to support the publication of European statistics nationally through the supported promotion of the functionality and use of data hosting on CSO’s open data portal (data.cso.ie). The Department of Health and the Environmental Protectional Agency will follow up with the support provided by CSO to further improve the quality of their metadata, their data access and documentation of quality.
Q2 2025.
Central Statistics Office and the Department of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Cooperate with the Department of Justice to improve documentation, metadata and quality policies for the Department of Justice, both the Department of Justice and the CSO will collaborate to improve the documentation and provision of metadata and document and promote the quality policies relating to their process and outputs e.g., dissemination policy, quality statement and confidentiality commitment documentation. The Department will also engage with the ISS COP certification process with a view to applying for certification in 2025.
Q4 2025.
Central Statistics Office and the Department of Justice.
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