When you step inside the front door of my home, the first thing you see on the wall is a framed printout of the 1911 census. It contains details of the two adults, one teenager and four children who lived in my north Dublin home 111 years ago.
Peter Farrell, the “head of the family” who worked as a cooper, lived in this two-bedroom house with his wife, Margaret, and their three small children. Also in the house on the night of the census was apprentice carpenter and “brother-in-law” Laurence Lawless and eight-year-old “scholar” Mary Farrell, a niece.
Each time I hang up my coat, I’m reminded of these seven people who inhabited a home now lived in by only two adults. I imagine them cooking over the large fireplace that recently emerged from behind a plaster wall following renovations. I think of them as I lie in bed, staring up at the same ceiling they lived under when a census enumerator called to their door in April 1911.
The 2022 census... will paint a picture of a country emerging from two years of restrictions, lockdowns, anxiety and grief prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic
For weeks now, census enumerators have been pacing the streets of our cities, towns and villages and driving the rural roads of some of our most isolated townlands handing out the April 3rd census forms. The 2022 census (postponed from 2021 because of the pandemic) will paint a picture of a country emerging from two years of restrictions, lockdowns, anxiety and grief prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also offer an insight into our increasingly diverse and multicultural population.
More than a century ago, in 1911, there were a few small pockets of foreign nationals living around Ireland, with most based in Dublin. The National Archives reveal eight Portuguese and seven Hungarian immigrants were living in the capital that year. Some 41 people said they were born in China, although none appeared to have Chinese names, while 1,101 marked Russia as their country of birth. Six people, four from the same family and living in Rathmines, said they were born in Turkey, while 32 individuals marked Spain as their place of birth.
One hundred years later, the 2011 census recorded that one in six Dublin city residents was a non-Irish resident, with Polish, UK, Romanian, Indian, Chinese and Brazilian nationals combined accounting for 45 per cent of these. Nationally, in 2011, there were 544,357 non-Irish nationals representing 199 different nations living in Ireland, or 12.2 per cent of the population. This dropped slightly to 535,475, or 11.6 per cent, in April 2016, most likely because of the increase in the number of dual Irish citizens.
The latest CSO data from April 2021 indicates that about one in eight people in Ireland – 645,500 or 12.9 per cent of the population – are non-Irish nationals. However, the information collected on April 3rd will provide a much clearer picture as to how diverse the population of this small island has become.
Carrying out the census every five years rather than 10 helps the Irish State gather solid data on migration trends in this country, says Eileen Murphy, head of census administration. Instructions for this year’s census have been translated into 22 languages, with multilingual guides available on the CSO website to help people fill out the form in the compulsory English or Irish, she says.
Confusion
Murphy admits one element may cause confusion this year – there is no date mentioned on the form. This is because forms were printed before the pandemic hit so it was unclear when the count could take place. “It’s the first time it’s not on the form so it’s doubly important we get the message out that it’s where you are on the night of Sunday, April 3rd.”
Dr Matthew... says many African nationals may not take the census seriously because they are disillusioned by how data is collected and used in their home countries
Dr Taiwo Matthew, a census regional supervisor in Ennis, says additional efforts are needed to ensure foreign nationals understand their data will be safe once they fill out the form. Dr Matthew, who has lived in Ireland for 23 years and is originally from Nigeria, says many African nationals may not take the census seriously because they are disillusioned by how data is collected and used in their home countries.
“It’s important that immigrants understand what the census is about and what the benefits are for society – that they know it’s used for planning, protection of rights, education provisions and social facilities.”
A retired doctor who served on Ennis town council in the early 2000s, Dr Matthew decided to take part in this year’s census collection because he had not seen any immigrants or people of colour involved in previous censuses. He says he has spent years trying to break the stereotypes many on this island hold regarding poverty and famine across the African continent.
“I got out there to change the narrative in my own little way. There was a real ignorance there, but rather than be defensive I work to try and include people.”
Similarly, he hopes to inform immigrant populations about the significance of taking part in the census. However, he fears some new arrivals will still choose not to take part.
“There could be eight people living in a two- or three-bedroom apartment and when they are asked for information they may not be truthful because of concerns of eviction. They will feel scared to fill it out correctly.”
Dr Matthew believes the Government’s regularisation programme for the undocumented means more people without papers will feel more comfortable filling out the form. However, others just will not take the risk. “For a lot of immigrants, particularly people from Africa, religion is a very important part of their life. So religious leaders will be of huge benefit in educating people about the census.”
Claudia Peroni, an Italian PhD student at Trinity College, did not know about the census until she saw my tweet seeking interviewees for this article. Most of her non-Irish friends did not know either, she says.
"I should say we don't have a television but I do follow Irish news on the RTÉ app and on social media and I hadn't heard about it at all."
‘Fundamentally different’
Peroni believes it’s important that all foreign nationals take part because they experience life in Ireland “in a fundamentally different way to Irish citizens”. As a European who does not need a visa to come here, she acknowledges her time in Ireland has been easy and “privileged”. “But there are lots of foreign nationals that will have different struggles, different challenges, different outlooks and perspectives”.
Patricia Munatsi, a policy lead at the Irish Network Against Racism, moved to Ireland from Zimbabwe in 2019. She says foreign nationals’ inclusion in the census is key to ensuring public services and supports are available for all. “I work in policy here so I know how important data is in terms of government initiatives they want to put in place in order to meet the needs of the people.
“I think it’s absolutely important to keep record of my existence or my time in Ireland, and not just for statistical purposes, but for future generations to look back and see how this society evolved over time.”
Caitlin Weich, who moved to Ireland from New Zealand in January 2020, says being counted as part of the Irish population feels “very affirming”. “We’re part of the community and we’re part of what it is to be Irish. And even though this may be our first time being counted, a lot of us are planning on staying for a very long time. Or even if we are here for a shorter time, that still makes us a valid part of the population.”
Megan Flynn Dixon, who is also from New Zealand, moved to Ireland four years ago with her family. She is concerned about the efforts being made to reach all of Ireland’s immigrants, particularly those who do not speak fluent English, and worries the same mistakes of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout will happen with the census.
“With the vaccine it ended up being the likes of Translate Ireland and other NGOs and volunteers doing the legwork and outreach on their own,” says Flynn Dixon, who is actively involved in migrant integration programmes in Co Galway. “It’s not just about translating into a different language but actually reaching out to these communities.”
Eileen Murphy says the census office has learned from the mistakes of vaccine rollout and is connecting with foreign nationals through community groups, embassies and ads on social media and the iRadio network. With more than 5,000 enumerators knocking on people’s doors, “it gets the message to every house” and “makes immediate contact”, she says.
'What message do you want to send forward 100 years about why you're in Ireland today and why you chose to be here?'
Extra resources have also been put in place to try to reach the thousands of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland. A Ukrainian census guide had been prepared before the war broke out and the census office is now printing additional copies of this guide, says Murphy. The CSO is liaising with various government agencies to find out where these new arrivals are staying.
‘No repercussions’
Murphy underlines that no one should feel concerned about handing over personal data because the CSO is an “independent body” and census personnel do not share this personalised information. “There will be no repercussions in any way for filling in a census, because it won’t be shared with anyone.”
The time capsule is a new element of the form which asks people to leave a message that will be stored for the next century. It will provide foreign nationals the chance to write something in their native language, which will be released to the public 100 years from now, says Murphy.
“What an amazing way for people to say we were in Ireland at that point in time, it’s such an important part of history. What message do you want to send forward 100 years about why you’re in Ireland today and why you chose to be here?”
