Central Statistics Office (Ireland)
Encyclopedia
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is the statistical agency responsible for the gathering of "information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions" in Ireland
, in particular the National Census
which is held every five years. The office is answerable to the Taoiseach
and has its main offices in Cork
. The CSO was established, on a statutory basis, by the Statistics Act, 1993 in an attempt to reduce the number of separate offices responsible for collecting statistics for the state.
The CSO had existed, as an independent ad-hoc office, within the Department of the Taoiseach
since June 1949, and its work greatly increased in the coming decades particularly from 1973 with Ireland joining the European Community. Previous to the 1949 reforms, statistics were collected by the Statistics Branch of Department of Industry and Commerce
on the creation of the Irish Free State
in 1922. The Statistics Branch amalgamated a number of statistics gathering organisations that had existed in Ireland since 1841 when the first comprehensive census was undertaken by the Royal Irish Constabulary
.
The current Director-General of the Central Statistics Office is Gerry O'Hanlon.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, in particular the National Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
which is held every five years. The office is answerable to the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
and has its main offices in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. The CSO was established, on a statutory basis, by the Statistics Act, 1993 in an attempt to reduce the number of separate offices responsible for collecting statistics for the state.
The CSO had existed, as an independent ad-hoc office, within the Department of the Taoiseach
Department of the Taoiseach
The Department of the Taoiseach is the government department of the Taoiseach of Ireland. It is based in Government Buildings, the headquarters of the Government of Ireland, on Merrion Street in Dublin....
since June 1949, and its work greatly increased in the coming decades particularly from 1973 with Ireland joining the European Community. Previous to the 1949 reforms, statistics were collected by the Statistics Branch of Department of Industry and Commerce
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)
The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...
on the creation of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
in 1922. The Statistics Branch amalgamated a number of statistics gathering organisations that had existed in Ireland since 1841 when the first comprehensive census was undertaken by the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
.
The current Director-General of the Central Statistics Office is Gerry O'Hanlon.