A census is the process of obtaining information about each member of a population. The term is mostly used in connection with national population and housing censuses, taken every five years according to United Nations recommendations.
The census in Ireland is carried out by the Central Statistics Office. The previous two censuses were carried out in 2002 and, most recently, on 23 April 2006. The census is carried out every five years. However, the 2001 census was postponed to 2002, due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
According to the 2006 form, 'any person who fails or refuses to provide information or who knowingly provides false information may be subject to a fine of up to €25,000'. The next census will take place in the year 2011. What age will you be then?