Census 2022

The Danes have an unique identifier for everyone. We don't and any time its suggested there is blue murder from the civil liberties lobby. We couldn't link up all the bits of information different government bodies have,

Nah...... The Trots are not the ones putting out the mad census conspiracy stuff

Right, in most European countries you have to register with the local police or town hall any time you move house. When I lived on the continent, I remember getting a call one day from a local council official, asking me why I hadn't got my chimney swept in the last 12 months. In Spain you have to show your passport and it gets reported to the authorities when you check into a hotel. So, yeah, we don't really need an anonymised census once every ten years, where the state actually know very little about you as an individual. We could do all these great things instead, which nobody would complain about.

All Census data is totally confidential. You have nothing to worry about.

(well, until 100 years later).

Nope, data sharing between public bodies requires either explicit legislation (Revenue generally have rights to everything, others generally don’t) or an explicit data sharing agreement which must comply with GDPR, and have either a legislative basis for processing or consent.

Nope, it's one form per household. Anyone sharing would be considered part of it

Is that little rant what you're writing in the time capsule section? If not, you should! 🧐



It's about where you spend the night or arrive the next morning.

grand... and it's collected at some later point in the week I assume

So who else hasn't got a form yet?

We rang them earlier in the week and they just shrugged it off. Didn't ask anything about where we were living or anything.

Said we could just send it on after we've received it, and it's grand.

Also submitted the request form online and received an automated response to say they'd respond with 48 hours - nothing.

I haven't, and I'm not bothered chasing it either. I presume it can be filled out retrospectively, since they're usually still collecting forms until well into May. I can't believe that, in 2022, there isn't an option to complete it online.

Listening to the radio adverts for the census, we get the usual line of "this data will allow us to plan services for the future".

So how come in the years following each census it always looks like there is zero planning of government services around the country?

I’ve seen enumerators on the streets both evenings this evening and last evening, so they are still working on it.

Im surprised you of all people don't understand the importance of what I am talking about. If someone drives in the bad weather months and cycles for the good weather ones but decides only being able to tick one they tick car that's one less bike on the road according to stats.

Same if train is picked as the one mode even though half the journey is on the bike from Heuston to the job.

I walk, bus or cycle in equal amounts depending on what takes my fancy that morning so ya the question is moronic. It should be tick all appropriate modes of transport.

Same for the job. Up until a few months ago I worked 2 completely different types of job at an equal 20hr 20hr split but can only fill in one.

I wonder how they're going to approach the sex / gender question next time... I'd nearly say they'll leave it as it is,

Why doesn't the census form say what night is 'census night'?

Seems like a bizarre omission.

I'm not an expert on Censuses, but I'd guess it might have something to do with the fact that;

a) if people aren't there, you won't have answers to all the questions, and

b) if people are somewhere else, their answers will be recorded on the Census form for where ever they happen to be that night.

I'd guess the forms are designed and printed long before the date was fixed, and with everything that's happening over the past two years with Covid, there was a significant chance of the date having to be moved. Contingency planning - and they have a huge communications campaign elsewhere - TV, radio, online, print - to make sure everyone knows the date.

Here's a general point - just because YOU don't understand the reason for any particular feature of the Census, that doesn't mean that the people in the CSO who've been running Censuses for decades are big eejits. It just means YOU don't understand how to run a Census.

Then forgive me for asking a question that seemed to question the competence of a state body. We couldn't have that. I'll try to do better in future

Is Census night Saturday 2nd into Sunday 3rd or Sunday 3rd into Monday 4th.

Just checking because someone stayed over last night