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22 Oct 2025

Kilkenny households asked to help test new online census form for CSO

The Census Pilot Survey will help evaluate the potential rollout of the first ever online census form before the next survey in 2027

Kilkenny households asked to help test new online census form for CSO

Kilkenny households asked to help test new online census form for CSO

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has asked households in parts of Kilkenny to complete the Census Pilot Survey to help test the new online census form.

This will be the first census in Irish history where the public will have the option to complete their census online. The survey is critical in preparing the CSO through testing new questions and the online option for the next census in 2027.

Kilkenny has been chosen as one of the counties across Ireland to take part in the Census Pilot Survey. The survey will take place in 44 locations across six counties. 

Participating areas in Kilkenny include parts of Kilkenny City, Ballyragget and Bennettsbridge. The areas chosen to participate were selected in order to broadly represent people living in Ireland and so a mix of urban and rural locations were chosen. You can see a more detailed list and map of the areas chosen in Kilkenny and other counties on censuspilot.ie

READ NEXT: National Services Day returns to Kilkenny Castle this weekend

The CSO has asked every household selected to take part in the survey so that the online options can be accurately evaluated. The online options are available across a variety of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, or laptops. 

For those living in the chosen areas, letters of invitation have been posted which will explain how you can complete the online form and how you can get a paper form. Both online and paper forms are available in English and Irish. 

As well as this, Census Field Support Officers (formerly known as enumerators) will be calling to homes in these selected areas in the coming weeks to give people information about the Census Pilot Survey. These officers will be wearing a yellow high-viz vest clearly branded as Census and will be carrying official CSO ID cards which people are encouraged to ask to see.

Head of Census Administration, Eileen Murphy, has asked: "If you receive our letter of invitation for the Census Pilot Survey, please take part. We need your help, and we cannot do this without you. By taking the time to complete the Survey, you will give us essential feedback on your experience of the online form and whether the questions are understood."

It is important to note that for the first time ever people are being asked to complete forms for where they usually live and the forms can be completed anytime between now and the official Census Pilot Survey night of 22 September 2024.

There will also be some new questions appearing on the pilot survey to reflect the changes in Irish society as accurately as possible. Some of these questions include whether your gender is the same or different to the sex recorded at birth, sexual orientation, how you would self-report your mental health and where households park their cars overnight to gather insights on potential placement of electric chargers.

Once the responses are collected and analysed, they will be used to guide the final recommendations of the Census Advisory Group. The final content of the Census 2027 form will be subject to Government approval.

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