Census forms marked absent in some east Clare households

NUMEROUS people in parts of East Clare didn’t receive a national Census form, it emerged this week.

Deputy Michael McNamara has confirmed people living in Scariff, Tuamgraney, Feakle, Killaloe and rural locations near Flagmount didn’t receive a Census form, which they were required to
complete on Sunday night.

The Independent Deputy said it seemed there was a blanket exclusion for some rural parts of East Clare as well as those living within the urban speed limits of Scariff.

“The legal obligation for people is to fill in a Census form if you are given one. Everyone should have been given a Census form.

“If the government didn’t have enough enumerators, they should have sent the Census forms by post,” the TD said.

“Completing the Census is important for a variety of reasons. Funding is allocated based on population.

“If Shannon was a town with a population of in excess of 10,000, there would be more funding streams open to it.

“It has a recorded population of just under 10,000 in the 2016 Census. Councillor PJ Ryan, who represents the area, believes the population is probably more than 10,000. This is just one example.

“One of the criteria for health budgets and funding is population. The Census is also important for the allocation of electoral boundaries.”

Deputy McNamara confirmed he has been contacted by people from various parts of East Clare who didn’t get the Census form.

While some people may question what they feel is another example of bureaucracy, he stressed that everyone should complete the form.

On Sunday, Deputy McNamara tweeted “On this Census night, large swathes of the country have not received census forms. The Romans carried out a Census of the Holy Land. Yet, 2016 years later
it seems beyond the capability of the Irish State to do so.”

The government has accepted that some people have not got the Census form and advised them to apply for one.

While people can’t fill in a Census form on line, a person can inform the national Census they didn’t get the form.

People who didn’t get a national Census form are advised to telephone a freephone number 0818202204 or email census2022@cso.ie