Most of us have seen or heard of the Census forms coming in the door, we’ve met those going door-to-door across Carlow and Kilkenny, but what exactly is the Census all about?
The Census provides us with invaluable information on a wide range of topics and is widely used by a range of both national and local government agencies and bodies, as well as community and voluntary bodies and businesses.
Census data feeds into the planning stage of most aspects of Irish life, be it new schools or nursing homes, train and tram lines, childcare facilities or shopping centres.
The greatest strength of the census is the provision of detailed population figures at local level. This data is used to; for example, identify the most appropriate location for new local roads and bus routes, new local schools and hospitals, areas of relatively high unemployment and the best location for new factories.
10 most important things you need to know about the Census 2016
- The next census will take place on the night of Sunday 24th April 2016.
2. The last census was held on Sunday 10th April 2011. The population as measured at that time was 4,588,252 persons.
3. 4,660 enumerators were recruited to work for a ten week period from Monday 21st March until Monday 23rd May.
4. Census 2016 will be the 25th census taken in Ireland.
5. More than 2.3 million census forms have been printed by the Central Statistics Office.
6. The census forms will be delivered between 21st March and 24th April.
7. If you have not received your Census form yet, you can free text the word FORM to 50400 or lo-call 1850 201604. Or for more info see Census.ie
8. For census purposes, the country is divided into 44 designated ‘regions’ each comprising ‘field districts’. Each field district is subdivided into an ‘enumeration area’, and each enumerator is assigned an enumeration area.
9. The census form contains 30 questions.
10. The first results from Census 2016 will be published about 12 weeks after the field operation ends.
Census Deadline Information
Each household will be asked to fill out their census form on Sunday 24th April. This is known as census night and everyone who is in Ireland on that night will be included on a census form.
On census day you should complete the form in respect of each person in your household and sign the declaration at the end of the form when it is complete. Please keep it in a safe place until it is collected. Your enumerator will call again in the 2-3 weeks after census day to collect your form. They will also be happy to assist you if you have had any difficulty in completing the form.
You may satisfy yourself of the identity of the enumerator by asking to see their ID.
The forms are then sent to the CSO in Swords, County Dublin where the information on them is captured and analysed. The census results are then published on the CSO web site and all census data is free for everyone to use.
For more information please visit www.census.ie
