The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is the national agency responsible for official statistics in Ireland. The mandate of the Office, as laid down in the Statistics Act 1993 is as follows:

“The collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions in the State.”

The CSO was established as an independent agency under the aegis of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) in 1949. Under the Statistics Act 1993 the Director General is given sole responsibility for statistical methodologies and professional standards to be followed; the content of statistical releases and publications; and the timing and methods of dissemination of the statistics compiled.

The Irish statistical system is centralised and thus the CSO compiles a wide range of statistics across the socio-economic spectrum. At present over 500 persons are employed in offices located in Dublin and Cork and a further 150 field staff are engaged on survey work throughout the country.

Since joining the EEC in 1973 the CSO has been actively involved, with other national statistical institutes and Eurostat, in the development of the European Statistical System. Indeed meeting the statistical needs of the EU is a dominant influence on the work of the CSO.

In fulfilling its mandate the CSO adheres to the highest professional standards of impartiality, integrity and independence. It also seeks to apply the best statistical standards and methodology and it rigorously protects the confidentiality of the data provided by survey respondents. In this way the Office fully subscribes to the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics adopted by the United Nations.