Everything you need to know about Census 2016

It's almost time.

Sunday April 24 is Census Night and while we know you’re very excited for it, there are some things you need to remember before you uncap your favourite pen and line your family up to be counted.

The last census was on Sunday April 10, 2011 and recorded Ireland’s population at 4,588,252. But that has likely changed with all the coming and going the nation has seen since then.

This year’s date fortuitously falls on the actual centenary of the 1916 Rising and more than 2.3 million census forms have been printed in advance of Sunday’s national headcount.

Just a girl, staying in waiting for her census enumerator..... Asking him to love her pic.twitter.com/FWyGRtEI8x

— Caoimhe (@caoimherrr) April 11, 2016

By now, you should have your form - 4,660 enumerators have been busy delivering them over the last few weeks - but if you haven’t received yours yet, you should contact the Central Statistics Office (CSO) at locall 1850 2016 04, freetext 'FORM' to 50400 or visit www.census.ie.

Who has to fill out the form?

On Sunday evening, you should complete the form which has 30 questions in respect of each person in your household and sign the declaration at the end of the form when it is complete.

Deirdre Cullen, from the CSO has this advice:

"Where you are on the night of Sunday 24, you go on that Census form. But if your spouse is away on the night you put them down as an absent person so then you still have the family unit.

"Foreign visitors to Ireland on Census night will be on the Irish Census. People in hospitals, nursing homes, people on cruise ships, the Irish Census is everybody who is in Ireland on the night of Sunday 24."

Yes, you absolutely have to fill out the form

There is a legal requirement to complete the form, and anyone who fails or refuses to do so, or who knowingly gives false information on the form, may be prosecuted and could be fined up to €44,440.

Five people were prosecuted, following the 2011 census.

Why do we need the Census

Because it’s good to keep track of everyone.

The census is important as it provides up-to-date information needed for planning at local, regional and national level. Population statistics are necessary for the adequate provision of healthcare, education and employment while regional data informs government policy.

And by looking at the results of successive censuses and by taking account of the number of births and deaths that have occurred over the same period, we get an accurate measure of net migration.

Who will have access to the data?

Your personal Census details are protected by law under the Statistics Act 1993 and the CSO guarantee that the information you give will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be used for statistical purposes

However, everyone will have access to the general data that the Census provides.

The preliminary population data will be published within 3 months of census day and over the following 18 months a comprehensive range of statistics will be released covering the topics on which census data has been collected.

You can view the 2011 data here

When will the completed forms be collected?

Your enumerator will call again in the 2-3 weeks after census day to collect your form. If your form hasn’t been collected by May 23, you can return in a large envelope to Central Statistics Office, PO Box 2016, FREEPOST F4726, Swords, Co. Dublin.

For more information, visit Census.ie