Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2015
47. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Taoiseach if he is aware that the Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom has, since 2011, systematically measured the personal well being of the population in order to gain a more complete picture of national well-being; if he sees merit in statistics of this type being gathered in this jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19269/15]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office (CSO) conducted a pilot survey on the topic of subjective well-being in Quarter 3 of 2013 as part of the Quarterly National Household Survey. Respondents were asked to answer the following questions using a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means 'not at all' and 10 means 'completely':
Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?
Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?
Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?
Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?
These are the same questions as are being asked by the Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom.
The results of the survey are currently being analysed and it is expected that they will be published in a special release by the end of June. That release will also contain the results of a set of questions on volunteering which were asked in Quarter 3 of 2013 and cross-classifications between the two sets of results.
Depending on user interest in the results, the CSO will examine the possibility of repeating the survey on subjective well-being on a regular basis.
