Census - Traveller numbers not accurate

hurler32

Interesting report on travellers in this weeks Limerick Post , it shows in East Limerick less than half of travellers living there filled in census forms in the 2016 census . Many suspect it’s like this all over the country so figures of 32,000 travellers are wholly inaccurate and 60-70,000 travellers would be far closer numbers .
How can the government help the traveller community if it doesn’t even know the right numbers it’s trying to assist equally those citing traveller crime are dealing with far bigger numbers than the government quote .


https://www.limerickpost.ie/2019/10/09/only-three-travellers-over-the-age-of-65-in-east-limerick/

Plumbthedepths

The ability to read and write is a necessary skill to filling out the census form.

893bet

If they don’t know you are there. Then it’s harder to plan services.

Makes it easier claim benefits in 3 counties though.

Deliberately don't fill out the census claiming illiteracy, so they can fiddle the system.

Easy. How many people live in Rathkeale, Newcastlewest and Abbeyfeale... That's for starters

Ready4Boarding

hurler32 wrote: »

Equally those citing traveller crime are dealing with far bigger numbers than the government quote

Surely it deflates the crime figures if the population increases but number of crimes remains unchanged? But it would mean troubling statistics like that only 13% complete secondary schooling are likely even worse.

beejee

"are you a terrorist? Y/N"

Relying on someone to fill out a form that is directly disadvantageous to them is archaic, not to mention funny.

There are chancers coming out of the woodwork and a more thorough and enforced system is necessary.

Deebles McBeebles

Its against the law to fail to fill out the census, why is anyone surprised?

dxhound2005

Jumping from this:

One of the key findings of the assessment is that less than 50 per cent of Travellers living in East Limerick were identified in the 2016 census, meaning that the Traveller community in the area is twice as large as was previously recorded.

To this:

Many suspect it’s like this all over the country so figures of 32,000 travellers are wholly inaccurate and 60-70,000 travellers would be far closer numbers .

would need, as in the time honoured phrase, a lot more research to prove or disprove. In the meantime anyone can check out the annual count of travellers and their mode of accommodation, compiled by every Local Authority.

BENDYBINN

Fillin out forms is not part of their culture.....

dxhound2005

BENDYBINN wrote: »

Fillin out forms is not part of their culture.....

Or even fillin' in forms.

BENDYBINN

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Or even fillin' in forms.

We fill them out down our side..

Force Carrier

For a lot of the questions on the form about family relationships, marriages etc the answer would be 'it's complicated'

Guy:Incognito

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

The ability to read and write is a necessary skill to filling out the census form.

They generally live on sites with a fair few caravans. Not 1 person in all of the caravans can read and write?

How many filled in social welfare forms vs the census forms?

Odyssey 2005

I'll bet they have no problem filling in forms that result in state payments .

the beer revolu

If this is true, then their over-representation in crime figures and the prison population is actually only half as bad as it is currently reported.

dxhound2005

The Census people were aware in 2016 that parts of Limerick and elsewhere were proving a challenge to get the forms back. The total was 70,000 for the country. How likely is it that 30,000 to 40,000 of those were travellers? Of course some travellers might not have been given a form, but how would anyone know that?

https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0524/790612-census/

The Central Statistics Office has said that 96% of census forms have been collected so far but 70,000 forms have yet to be returned.

Parts of Dublin city centre, Galway, Limerick and Waterford city are proving challenging for the enumerators, as are parts of Donegal.

LuasSimon

If there are 60-70,000 travellers which is highly possible what percentage do they make up of the unemployment figures ??
A very large percentage no doubt

dxhound2005

LuasSimon wrote: »

If there are 60-70,000 travellers which is highly possible what percentage do they make up of the unemployment figures ??
A very large percentage no doubt

Also possible that fewer of them proportionately are of working age, given their reputation for having a lot of children, and their short life expectancy.

LuasSimon

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The Census people were aware in 2016 that parts of Limerick and elsewhere were proving a challenge to get the forms back. The total was 70,000 for the country. How likely is it that 30,000 to 40,000 of those were travellers? Of course some travellers might not have been given a form, but how would anyone know that?

https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0524/790612-census/

The Central Statistics Office has said that 96% of census forms have been collected so far but 70,000 forms have yet to be returned.

Parts of Dublin city centre, Galway, Limerick and Waterford city are proving challenging for the enumerators, as are parts of Donegal.

I’d say plenty of housing estates with traveller families were challenging too in Ennis , Longford , mullingar , Tralee , Tuam but for different reasons !!
Imagine a census collector trying to get a guard to call to a travellers house over a census form not been filled out .

LuasSimon

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Also possible that fewer of them proportionately are of working age, given their reputation for having a lot of children, and their short life expectancy.

Working age ?? .. they don’t want to work bottom line

dxhound2005

LuasSimon wrote: »

Working age ?? .. they don’t want to work bottom line

Very few employers would have them. In the same way that they don't want people of any background who are not suitable for employment.

the beer revolu

the beer revolu wrote: »

If this is true, then their over-representation in crime figures and the prison population is actually only half as bad as it is currently reported.

Criminal activity isn't recorded on the census. There's absolutely no reason to assume that the travellers who don't return census forms are invisible to he police or other sévices.

Portsalon

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

I'll bet they have no problem filling in forms that result in state payments .

They usually avail of the services of their local Social Welfare or Citizens Information Office to ensure that such Forms are correctly completed!