Census 2021 trial taking place in parts of Offaly

Census enumerators are calling again to selected areas in Offaly to deliver trial census forms in preparation for Census 2021.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is carrying out a Census Pilot Survey in seven counties including parts of Offaly. Participating areas include townlands surrounding and including Blueball and Mountbolus, Screggan, Kilbeggan and Rathangan/Clonbullog. Maps of the areas taking part are available to view on www.censuspilot.ie. 

The Census Pilot Survey will take place on September 23. It is essentially a small scale census, carried out in the same way as a full census, only with a limited (15,000) number of households.

Enumerators are hand delivering Census Pilot Survey forms to homes in the participating areas between August 23 and September 23. The completed forms will be collected in the weeks following September 23.

The Pilot is testing new and updated questions to see if they can be included in the next census which will take place in 2021. This is part of the preparation which began with a consultation process in late 2017 where members of the public, government departments, local authorities, groups and organisations were invited to submit suggestions for new questions.

Over 400 submissions were received and a group was convened to discuss and whittle down the topics to the number
that are being tested in the Census Pilot Survey form. New questions being trialled include childcare, smoking, volunteering, green energy, home working and citizenship, while changes have been made to other questions including religion
and the Irish language.

The information provided by the people participating, through completing the survey form, will give the CSO a good statistical understanding of how new and updated test questions worked. This knowledge will be used to prepare the Census 2021 census form.

Personal information is fully confidential, secure and protected by law. Only grouped statistical information is published.

Looking at the census pages on the CSO website, the information is readily available. The population of Offaly was
recorded as 77,961 of which 22,260 were 18 years old or younger. 1,932 people were Polish nationals. 74,348 people lived in houses, 1,810 lived in apartments, 30,287 people were at work, 8,956 were retired, 11,154 people had disabilities, 3,357 people provided unpaid care.

So much information is available at state and local level such as peoples commuting patterns, population increases and decreases in age groups, marital status, family size and more. Census results give us a picture of ourselves and are used to drive policy and provide services.

That is why the CSO is keen to get the assistance of the people in the homes in the participating areas by way of completing the Census Pilot Survey form delivered by the enumerator. This will help to prepare the questions on the next census so that it meets the changing needs of our society.

Members of the public can contact the Census by calling the helpline 1850 201 604 or by emailing copfieldmanagement@cso.ie. There is also a helpdesk form on the website.

Further information on the Census Pilot Survey is available on www.censuspilot.ie.