By Staff Reporter

The 2016 Census will be held on Sunday 24 April, the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has announced.

By taking part “each and every one of us will help to shape our understanding about life in Ireland today,” said Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the launch recently.

The Census, which takes place every five years, is the only official collection of demographic data from every single household in Ireland.

“The information it provides, therefore, is a vital input to important decisions we take on where to build new schools, where transport is needed, where the population is ageing and in need of more support,” the Taoiseach added.

Pádraig Dalton, director general of the CSO, noted the extent of the work involved in making the Census happen.

“Counting every single person in the State on a single night is no easy task and, as you can imagine, an enormous amount of work has already gone into this Census to get us here today,” he said.

Census forms will be delivered by hand to every household in the state over the next five weeks, and will then be collected in person.

“The CSO relies heavily on the dedication and commitment of our census enumerators and field managers to do this work on our behalf,” said Dalton, who highlighted the importance of full public participation and emphasised that the confidentiality of the information provided is the CSO’s highest priority.

“The confidentiality of Census information is guaranteed by law and I would like to reassure the public that no identifiable information relating to individuals or households collected in the Census will ever be shared with any other body or agency,” he added.

Official enumerators have already begun to call on every household to deliver the Census form. 

“Please answer your door because it is important that your enumerator delivers your form to you.” said senior CSO statistician Deirdre Cullen. “They can also answer any questions you may have. Your enumerator will carry a census ID badge, and will be wearing a bright yellow high visibility jacket with the word ‘Census’ written on the back.”

For those whose first language is not Irish or English, a translation of the Census form is available in 21 different foreign languages. Other resources available to assist people with filling out the form include large print, Braille and audio versions, and a video step-by-step guide to completing the form.

All of these resources and much more information about the Census are available online at Census.ie.