Questionnaire Text

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All persons must be enumerated where they spend census night.

Below are two lists. List 1 is for persons present at this address on the night of Sunday 10 April, Census Night. List 2 is for persons who usually live at this address but who are temporarily away on the night of Sunday 10 April. See the explanatory notes relating to question 7 on the back page for guidance in interpreting a person's place of usual residence.

Present persons

Include in List 1:
  • All persons alive at midnight on Sunday 10 April who spent the night at this address.
  • Persons who stayed temporarily in the household (i.e. visitors).
  • Persons who arrived the following morning not having been enumerated elsewhere.
Do not include in List 1:
  • Any person who usually lives at this address but who is temporarily absent on the night of Sunday 10 April. These
  • persons should be listed as being absent in List 2 below.
  • Students who were away from home on the night of
  • Sunday 10 April. They should be listed as being absent in List 2 below.
  • Babies born after midnight on Sunday 10 April.
List 1. Persons present in the household on the night of Sunday 10 April
[The following information is collected for up to 12 persons in the household.]

Person No. _
First name and surname ____
Answer questions relating to each person present in the household on Sunday 10 April beginning on Page 4 in the same order as listed here.
Answer questions relating to persons 7, 8, 9 etc. on additional blue Individual Forms available from your Enumerator.
Absent persons
[The following information is collected for up to 4 household residents who are absent on census night.]

Include in List 2:
  • All persons who usually live at this address but who are temporarily absent on Sunday 10 April.
  • Students away at school or college.
Do not include in List 2:
  • Anyone included in List 1.
List 2. Absent persons who usually live in the household
Person No. _
First name and surname ____
Answer questions beginning on Page 22 for each usual resident listed here as being absent from the household on the night of Sunday 10 April. .
If there are more than 4 usual residents absent on the night of Sunday 10 April, please ask your Enumerator for guidance.
Questionnaire instructions view entire document:  text  image
1.10 Present and absent persons
The Census counts persons where they are on Census Night. Situations will arise where some or all persons in a household are absent from their home on Census night.

Who is to be counted as present on Census night? - List 1

  • Include every person who spent Census Night in the dwelling or who arrived the following morning not having been enumerated elsewhere; even visitors who are only staying temporarily in the household should be included.
  • Include all persons alive at midnight on April 10. Experience indicates that babies and very young children are sometimes omitted by the householder so care should be taken to ensure that all persons, regardless of age, are declared on the form.
  • Do not include anyone who is temporarily away from home on April 10. They should be declared as absent (see List 2, page 3 of Household Form).
  • Do not include students who are away from home living in other accommodation on the night of April 10 (see List 2, page 3 of Household Form).
  • Do not include babies born after midnight on Census Night.

Remember only persons who are actually in the country at midnight on Census Night should be enumerated in the Census. Anyone who arrives from outside the country after midnight should not be counted as being present.

Who should be counted as absent on Census night? - List 2

Persons who usually reside in a private household but who are temporarily away from home on Census Night should be entered on List 2, page 3 of the Household Form by the householder. The householder should also complete the questions relating to absent persons on pages 22-23 of the form in respect of each absent person.

The following persons or classes of persons should be counted as absent persons:

  • household members who usually live at the address but are away from home on Census night;
  • household members who usually live at the address but who are out of the country on Census Night;
  • primary, secondary and third level students who are absent on Census Night and are living away from home during term time.
Absent persons only applies to private households. Persons absent from Communal Establishments on Census Night are not covered as absent persons in the Census.

If an entire household is temporarily absent on Census Night, a Form E must be completed for the household. The Form E procedure ensures that members of the household who spend Census Night elsewhere in Ireland are enumerated at the location where they spend the night. See Section 4.2, page 45.