ANYONE INTERESTED IN taking up a position as a census enumerator this year is being urged to get their applications in early.

The recruitment process starts tomorrow at 9am with online applications being taken until this Friday, or before the number of applicants reaches 15,000.

Enumerators are paid a fixed fee of €2,400 for the ten week period and will be responsible for distributing and collecting more than 2.3 million forms.

This year’s census takes place on Sunday 24 April and some 4,660 enumerators will be recruited to carry out the mammoth task.

CSO director general Paidraig Dalton said census data feeds into the planning stages of most aspects of Irish life such as schools, train lines and childcare facilities.

“It is the CSO’s largest and most challenging statistical undertaking and simply could not be completed without the diligence of the enumerators,” he said.

Demand for the posts is always “incredibly high” according to CSO head statiscian Deirdre Cullen. She said anyone interested is strongly advised to apply early.

Read: Fancy counting for cash? Ten weeks part-time work could earn you €2,400>