A total of 4,661 census enumerators have been recruited for the 2016 census. All recruitment for the census field operation was carried out by the CSO under licence by the Commission for Public Service Appointments and complied with their strict recruitment principles regarding fairness, equality, openness and transparency.
Applications for enumerator positions were taken on-line from 9am on Tuesday 5th January 2016. It was advertised in advance that applications would close at 5pm on Friday 8th January or once the total number of applications reached 15,000. Applications were capped at 15,000 for operational reasons as all applicants for enumerator positions are called to interview.
Regarding the criteria for selection, the role of census enumerator requires a good general education, ability to follow detailed instructions, and other skills such as map reading. The job also entails a significant amount of walking or driving, interacting with a wide range of people, and also working to very strict deadlines. As the enumerators are the CSO representatives on the ground they must also be capable of representing the Office in a professional manner, and be completely trustworthy. They should ideally have experience of dealing with the public, enjoy being outdoors, and be available to work between 22 to 25 hours a week over the ten week period.
The CSO received applications from people in all situations – retired persons, the unemployed, homemakers, those in part-time work, and also people in full-time jobs.
All applicants for enumerator positions were assessed at interview. It was not open to the CSO to discriminate in favour of any one group and many enumerators in the past have successfully combined the job with other part-time or even full-time work. While it was not the only criterion used in assessing candidates, the availability of candidates to undertake the work was taken into account during the selection process.
The table below shows the number of applications and enumerators broken down by county. The CSO is currently compiling data on the breakdown of applicants by employment status and will make that available in due course.
|
County or City
|
No. of applications
|
Number placed on panel
|
Number of enumerators
|
|
CARLOW
|
179
|
101
|
56
|
|
DUBLIN CITY
|
1,341
|
784
|
594
|
|
DUBLIN SOUTH
|
802
|
460
|
227
|
|
DUBLIN FINGAL
|
891
|
538
|
240
|
|
DUN LAOGHAIRE RATHDOWN
|
710
|
468
|
198
|
|
KILDARE
|
765
|
515
|
187
|
|
KILKENNY
|
306
|
204
|
94
|
|
LAOIS
|
263
|
174
|
78
|
|
LONGFORD
|
166
|
106
|
43
|
|
LOUTH
|
383
|
227
|
122
|
|
MEATH
|
679
|
418
|
164
|
|
OFFALY
|
242
|
158
|
73
|
|
WESTMEATH
|
285
|
186
|
88
|
|
WEXFORD
|
471
|
279
|
156
|
|
WICKLOW
|
417
|
255
|
133
|
|
CLARE
|
444
|
296
|
122
|
|
CORK CITY
|
262
|
134
|
128
|
|
CORK COUNTY
|
1,095
|
694
|
393
|
|
KERRY
|
410
|
288
|
167
|
|
LIMERICK CITY
|
128
|
71
|
62
|
|
LIMERICK COUNTY
|
419
|
213
|
133
|
|
TIPPERARY NR
|
230
|
152
|
74
|
|
TIPPERARY SR
|
248
|
172
|
96
|
|
WATERFORD CITY
|
175
|
109
|
50
|
|
WATERFORD COUNTY
|
244
|
153
|
70
|
|
GALWAY CITY
|
332
|
211
|
79
|
|
GALWAY COUNTY
|
643
|
396
|
189
|
|
LEITRIM
|
200
|
126
|
38
|
|
MAYO
|
576
|
391
|
144
|
|
ROSCOMMON
|
285
|
211
|
67
|
|
SLIGO
|
354
|
221
|
74
|
|
CAVAN
|
248
|
156
|
79
|
|
DONEGAL
|
612
|
395
|
180
|
|
MONAGHAN
|
139
|
87
|
63
|
|
Total
|
14,944
|
9,349
|
4,661
|
