AGENDA
Thursday September 5th, 2024
Room 301, Government Buildings
10.00 to 13.10
|
Item |
Time |
Description |
Document |
|
1 |
10.00 –10.05 |
Minutes of NSB meeting May 9th, 2024 |
NSB 2024-4-2 |
|
2 |
10.05 – 11.00 |
Director General’s Report to NSB Director General’s Vision for CSO |
NSB 2024-4-3 |
|
3 |
11.15 – 12.45 |
Discussion of draft – NSB SOS Review |
NSB 2024-4-4 |
| 4 |
12.45 – 12.50 |
AOB |
|
| 5 | 12.50 – 13.10 |
Private discussion |
The meeting took place in Room 301, Government Buildings, Dublin
Date: Thursday, 5th September 2024, 10am
Members present: Ms. Anne Vaughan (Chairperson), Ms. Eithne Fitzgerald, Dr. Clíona Saidléar, Mr. John Shaw, Mr. Jim Scheer, Dr Martina Lawless and Ms. Jennifer Banim
Non-members in attendance from CSO: Brian Cahill (Secretary)
Apologies from Dr. Emma Cunningham,
Anne Vaughan welcomed Jennifer Banim to the Board and wished her the very best in her new role as Director General of the CSO.
The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.
The DG’s Report to the National Statistics Board was taken as read and the Board discussed in more detail items including:
The Board discussed developments in environmental statistics, welcoming the publication of Environment, Social, and Governance Reporting: Data for the Enterprise Economy 2024. This report utilised existing CSO data sources, raising awareness of ESG and corporate responsibility among Irish enterprises. Topics covered include climate change, pollution, workforce, governance, and other ESG themes. The Board emphasised the importance of linking environmental, social, and economic data to provide multi-dimensional insights. This work aligns with forthcoming EU directives on ESG reporting and places CSO ahead of many other members states in this regard. The Climate Action Liaison Group was highlighted as a very positive initiative which is fostering collaboration and improving data accessibility in the environmental domain.
The Board welcomed progress made on the development a business case for collecting hours worked data via Revenue’s PMOD system. The proposal, led by DETE in collaboration with CSO, is supported by several policy stakeholders, including DSP, DCEDIY, and the Low Pay Commission. Collecting this data will address a crucial data gap, which is integral to the production of key indicators relevant to a range of policy areas.
The Board expressed strong support for the newly established Housing Division in the CSO, which consolidates housing-related statistics into one area and aims to expand outputs in this critical policy area. Despite recent developments there remain data gaps in this key policy area with conflicting evidence from public data holding. The upcoming launch of the Housing Hub was identified as a major milestone for the new team.
Challenges in implementing the Household Budget Survey (HBS) were noted by the Board, including low response rates impacting detailed breakdowns by category. A rolling HBS from 2024 aims to improve data collection processes, build experience in the survey team and ensure annual reporting. The Board also discussed the potential for using administrative data sources, such as VAT and scanner data, to complement survey findings.
The Q2 2024 National and International Accounts were published on 5th September, following the press conference a seminar was held by CSO on the results relating to the domestic economy. The seminar provided valuable context for understanding the nuance of the results as they relate to the domestic economy. This initiative was welcomed by the Board and identified as an important step in addressing the communication challenges that surrounds the reporting of macroeconomic statistics.
The Board heard details of the launch of the Census pilot where 22,000 individuals were targeted to complete the pilot. The Board noted the milestone of the first use of an online census form. The pilot will be invaluable in testing the IT systems, governance, cyber security and accessibility. The Board noted that the pilot cannot test the volume of demand for the online platform, the CSO stated that the consultants see no issue in this regard. The pilot has received a positive response so far, with the CSO’s communication team effectively managing all public communication about the pilot through various channels.
The Board heard that CSO submitted an ambitious budget request to DPENDER, including funding for large projects such as Census 2027, cyber security and the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI). The CSO’s headcount has grown from 650 in 2013 to 1,100 in 2024, reflecting increased demand for CSO services.
The Board heard that the CSO will carefully evaluate the balance between the expansion of service provision, the advancement of system development, and staff growth. This assessment will be guided by the organisation’s evolving needs, ensuring that resources are aligned with operational priorities and that the capacity is in place to sustain high-quality service delivery.
The Board received an update on the implementation of the Unique Business Identifier, which is expected to be operational in the coming months.
The Board discussed recent outputs derived from administrative data, highlighting their growing importance in providing timely and detailed insights across various policy areas. Examples include Labour Market Churn, which utilises Revenue's PMOD system to analyse workforce dynamics, and IPEADS (Irish Population Estimates from Administrative Data Sources), which estimates annual population counts by integrating multiple data sources. While these outputs represent significant advancements in leveraging administrative data, the Board stressed the importance of clearly communicating the methodological differences between population estimates from IPEADS and traditional census data. Transparency and effective explanation are crucial to ensuring users understand the strengths, limitations, and intended applications of these data sources.
The Board also recognised efforts to enhance access to administrative data for researchers. The Virtual Data Rooms initiative was noted as a pivotal development, offering a platform for accessing administrative microdata to conduct in-depth policy-relevant analysis while maintaining data confidentiality. Additionally, the ROSA (Researcher Online Statistical Access) system was commended for streamlining the process of accessing microdata, making it more user-friendly and efficient for researchers. These advancements reflect the CSO’s commitment to maximising the utility of administrative data while upholding high standards of data security and transparency.
Jennifer Banim, Director General of the CSO, presented to the Board on her vision for the future of the CSO.
The Board discussed the first draft of the mid-term review of the NSB Statement of Strategy which highlight progress made under each priority and action and identify areas of strategic focus for the remaining duration of the strategy. Feedback was provided on each priority and action which will be incorporated into the next draft of the strategy review document. The Board agreed to meet again in October to review the next iteration of the review with the aim of publishing the review in December 2024.
This agenda item was postponed until the December NSB meeting.
The Board were reminded of NSB meeting dates in 2024.
Anne Vaughan informed the Board that she will be leaving the Board in Q1 2025 having completed six years as chair. The Department of an Taoiseach will arrange for the advertisement of the Board vacancy later in 2024.
The Board members had a private discussion.
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