ON SUNDAY 3 April, people all across the country will be filling out the census form.

Last year was supposed to be a census year (they happen every five years), but it was delayed because of the Covid pandemic. 

But what is the purpose of the census – what sort  of data does it capture, and how is it used? And how does it keep up to date with our ever-changing society?

That’s what we’re looking at in this week’s episode of The Explainer. Presenter Gráinne Ní Aodha speaks to Cormac Halpin, who is a senior statistician with the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Halpin works in the area of the CSO that is responsible for processing the data and disseminating the results of the census. 

We asked him about how the census works, what new questions they have added, how they gather the results – and what the story is with the new ‘time capsule’ feature. 

Listen here for more:

The Explainer / SoundCloud

This episode was put together by presenters Michelle Hennessy and Gráinne Ni Aodha, and producers Nicky Ryan and Aoife Barry.

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