John FitzGerald: How the census can help us to fight climate change

In last year’s census we were encouraged to record a message for our great-grandchildren to read in 2122. This highlighted the value of the census, not just to inform public policy today, but also as a snapshot of history. The census provides a unique picture of different aspects of our society. It is a vital source of detailed local information, and on smaller minority groups, something national sample surveys cannot replace. Intriguing messages for future generations are a valuable byproduct.

The detailed census forms for 1901 and 1911 are available online at the National Archives, and the 1926 records are being digitised for release in 2026. While our great-grandparents did not have the opportunity to leave a message, there are hidden gems of social history in individual historical records.

In 1911 suffragettes boycotted the census, protesting against their exclusion from voting – “if you don’t count, don’t be counted”. Two suffragettes in Ranelagh filled out their form, but made their protest by giving their occupation as “suffragist” and their disability as “disenfranchised”.

Mary Strangman, a Waterford doctor, said she was not at home on the night of the 1911 census. However, the constable collecting her form wrote that Mary was a suffragist, and he knew she had been there. Instead of prosecuting her, he filled out her details, guessing her age as “about 35″ (she was actually 39). She went on to be elected a councillor in Waterford in 1912, though still unable to vote in national elections. She is commemorated, as one of the first women doctors in Ireland, in a portrait in the Royal College of Surgeons.

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The combination of high city housing costs, and the option to work remotely at least some days a week, has led to many workers living a long distance from their offices

The first detailed report from Census 2022, published two weeks ago, show how Ireland has changed in important ways since 2016.

[ Census 2022 results: fewer Catholics, more home-working, a larger older population - what the data shows ]

[ Census 2022: Number of Catholics in the State falls from 79% of population to 69% as country ages ]

Major immigration over the 2016 to 2022 period continues a pattern from 1991 onwards where Ireland, after two centuries of continual emigration, experienced significant population inflows. By census day in April 2022, we already had 12,000 Ukrainians fleeing from the war. By this month, PPS figures show more than 84,000 Ukrainian arrivals here, although some may have returned home since.

Traditionally, most immigration has been from other EU countries or the UK, but in addition to Ukrainian refugees, arrivals over the past six years have been more diverse. While the number of people born in another EU country increased by around 40,000 between 2016 and 2022, the increase in numbers from the Indian subcontinent was fairly similar. There was also significant inward movement from Brazil. There were 6,000 more US-born people living here, the majority of them women.

A detailed inspection of the data shows that the fall-off in the proportion of immigrants coming from elsewhere in the EU reflects two things. The newer EU member states have prospered, so the gap in incomes between them and Ireland has narrowed. The cost of housing is another factor that makes Ireland less attractive than 15 years ago. These factors have also encouraged earlier eastern European migrants to return to their home countries, where they can now be better off. The number of Poles living in Ireland actually fell by almost 10,000.

Long-distance commuting

Between 2016 and 2021, while there were 16 per cent more people in work, while the number of daily journeys made by adults increased by just over 8 per cent. It’s not a surprise that the growth in commuter journeys didn’t keep pace, given increased numbers working from home. However, the census also shows a switch to more long-distance commuting.

The number of people whose daily journeys were under 30 minutes rose more slowly than the total, while the number commuting over 90 minutes rose significantly more rapidly. As a result, average commuting time for adults rose by 3 per cent over the period. The combination of high city housing costs, and the option to work remotely at least some days a week, has led to many workers living a long distance from their offices. While people commute on fewer days, on average there is more commuter mileage. That’s not good for emissions from transport.

Although there has been a lot of investment in cycling infrastructure, only 3 per cent take the bike to work. The main increase in cycling has been among children, not adults. Over two thirds of journeys to work are by car. The balance between active transport (on foot/by bike), public transport, and private transport has remained virtually unchanged since 2016.

Better cycling infrastructure won’t wean us from our cars, particularly with more people living farther from their workplaces. To encourage a switch in commuting at scale, we need better, more reliable public transport.