The Census Pilot Survey is a small scale census that will test new questions and new enumerator technology for the next full census which takes place in 2021.  The responses you give us in your questionnaire will directly inform decisions on how Census 2021 will look.

The Census Pilot Survey date is Sunday, September 23rd, 2018.  Our enumerators will deliver forms to homes in participating areas before this date and collect them in the following weeks.  Please check his/her Identification Card when they call.  For more information on the enumerator role click here.

The Census Pilot Survey form is being delivered to 15,000 homes in seven counties - Cork, Dublin, Galway, Louth, Offaly, Tipperary & Wicklow.

The CSO has chosen areas which broadly represent the population of Ireland.  The Pilot is taking place in urban and rural areas, as well as areas with high and low levels of housing vacancy and areas with higher proportions of non-Irish nationals.  Maps of the areas where the Pilot is taking place can be found here.

By completing your Census Pilot form, the answers you give will help us to decide on the questions to be asked in 2021.  You can be part of preparing the next census to meet the changing needs of our society.

New topics include childcare, smoking, volunteering, renewable energy sources, smoke alarms, home working and citizenship while changes are being made to existing questions such as Irish language and religion.  About the new Questions.

The CSO held a consultation process in late 2017, inviting views on changes to the Census form.  Over 400 submissions were received from members of the public, government departments, interest groups and other organisations.  The new/changed questions proposed in these submissions were discussed and narrowed down to the ones that appear on the pilot forms.

Usually we run a Census Pilot between each census but there wasn't one between the censuses in 2011 and 2016.  This meant that there were no new questions in Census 2016.  The last Census Pilot was run in 2009, so in 2021 it will be 10 years since new questions were added.

We are testing two different census forms - Form A (blue) and Form B (pink).  Both forms contain new/changed questions.  

Yes.  If you wish to complete your form in Irish, please ask your enumerator for the Irish language version.

Yes.  Your enumerator will have a translation of Form A in three languages - Polish, Lithuanian and Russian.  They are also available here.  However, these are provided only as a guide, as your form must be completed in either English or Irish.  

Yes.  We would like to know your views on the Pilot forms/process.  Your enumerator will have a feedback form and we'd greatly appreciate if you would take a few minutes to complete it.  You can also complete it here.

There are 8 Field Supervisors and 36 Enumerators working on the Pilot.  Due to its small scale and the changes to working methods being tested, we need to have staff who are familiar with and have recently worked in the process.  Therefore, the 44 staff have been drawn from those who worked on Census 2016.  For the next full census in 2021, all of the 5,000 field staff jobs will be publicly advertised in 2020.

Gardaí in your area have been informed that the Census Pilot is taking place and have been notified of the identity of your enumerator.  Please check his/her identification card when they call with your form. Should you have any concerns, or wish to further discuss the Census Pilot Survey with CSO staff, please feel free to contact us on 1850 201 604 or email copfieldmanagement@cso.ie. 

Yes.  We value and protect your information. It is secure and protected by law.  All staff involved in the Census Pilot Survey are Officers of Statistics and are legally bound by the Statistics Act 1993 to protect the confidentiality of your data.  We are also GDPR compliant.

The CSO only publishes grouped anonymous data in the form of statistics.  Further information on how we protect and preserve the confidentiality and security of your data is available here.

Yes.  We will publish a report on the outcome of the Census Pilot Survey, including findings on how the new questions have worked.  This will be published in Q3 2019.

If you have any queries please call us on 1850 201 604, or email us at copfieldmanagement@cso.ie.