Question 13 on Census 2011

A number of you contacted us and spoke to us about Question 13 on the Census form, saying how upset you were about the phrasing of the Question. Féilecáin brought this question to the attention of the management of the CSO, this is the reply we got: (hopefully this question will be looked at before the next census and will not cause distress to anyone again):

Dear Ms Hayes

Thank you for your email on the Census.

We have received a number of letters and emails from members of the public
on the phrasing of Question 13 and are aware of the concerns that surround
it. It is not CSO’s intention to cause any member of the public distress
with the contents of the Census form, and we apologise sincerely for any
upset which Question 13 may have caused.

Most questions on the Census form, including Question 13, are open to
amendment in future Censuses. The procedure through which this is effected
is an open public consultation which is usually conducted approximately
three years in advance of the census. During this process, advertisements
are placed in the national press inviting submissions from the public and
interested organisations on changes or new inclusions on the Census form.
All of these submissions are given consideration before the final decision
is taken by the government to sign off on the contents of the Census form.

I will ensure that your suggestions for amendments to Question 13 are
included as part of the public consultation in advance of the next Census.
As the government has not yet approved the holding of a future Census,
there is as yet no timeframe available for the next public consultation but
as a guidline the consultation for Census 2011 was held in August 2008.

With regards