Census 2022

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

Where is the evidence for all this planning, that the census data is supposed to be used for ? The local primary school yards are full of prefab classrooms as new schools/classrooms weren't built on time, hospitals all over the country are overfilled with patients(as hospital capacity hasn't kept up) and  local roads are clogged as a major road project has been held up for years. In fact, I can't think of a single area where state infrastructure/services have been delivered either just before or just as they are are required, despite having all this data to enable advance planning. The norm is that roads, schools, hospitals, health centres, playgrounds, broadband etc are delivered years after they were originally needed and usually are lots of campaigning by local people and their representatives.

I firmly believe that the only useful data from the census is the number of people living in the country and in each local area. I have no time for the argument that the census is a vital source of information for future historians, as much of the information is either frivolous such as the question about smoke alarms or repetitive, as in every census, coming back and asking you when your house was built(again) and what your date of birth is(strangely enough, its the same as it was at the time of the last census). I also very much doubt whether the information is strictly confidential, having had a confidentiality issue with another institution that also shouted about how they value your information and promised confidentiality. Hopefully by the time of the next census, we will be able to submit it online and just tick a box for, "same as last time/unchanged". Mind you, when PPS numbers were first introduced, we were promised that using your PPS number you wouldn't need to fill in your name, date of birth and other personal details when applying for state services. but to this day, despite inputting your PPS Number they still need you to tell them your date of birth. What about, if the state that forces people to complete these census forms far more regularly than in other countries, meet their end of the bargain and show us the fruits of all the future planning that the census data is supposed to allow for.

They are working on it. I saw some CSO woman on the telly last week talking about it. She said there are plans for it to happen, probably at the next census, and they have been looking at other countries that have already done it online. Most countries have a census every 10 years while we do it every 5, so that was part of the excuse. And Covid, of course.

Iv filled out the form no issues at all but i seen people say you can get a 45 grand fine for not filling it out or filling it out incorrectly ,

But if the Census is completely confidential to the CSO how can they fine you ? they would need to tell the Garda or courts to fine you ? Makes no sense

I've seen a few different enumerators in my town (and I don't get out that much!). One of the reasons a high number of households mightn't have gotten their form is that people have developed a fear of answering the door (or a call from an unknown phone number). They see an enumerator at their door and assume it's somebody trying to sell them something or to change provider for whatever.

My poor enumerator had the legs worn off her walking up and down my road trying to collect forms, she must have knocked about 7 times over the course of the last week to the house across the road. Was talking to the neighbour across the road (fishing for info) because a different fella came to deliver a new form and a final warning, wasn't long about filling the original form in for him. I'd suspect these are the people they would go after also, the ones that are wasting the time of the enumerator which could be spent collecting legitimately completed forms. So at least you get that final warning anyway. I'd imaging each road has at least 1-3 house's that make life difficult, but that must have a knock on effect in terms of time and collecting from other house's that have their form completed.

They've proven they are not an adult, multiple times.