The Changing Patterns of Production and Consumption of Official Statistics in Ireland 1989-2019

Abstract

This paper examines the major improvements in Ireland’s official statistics since 1989, a period of exceptional economic and social change in Ireland. The Irish Statistical System now produces statistics that are comprehensive and consistent with the Code of Practice for EU Statistics, and that support the increased use of high-quality evidence to inform policy making in Ireland. The paper identifies the key factors that have driven the improvements over a period that has seen the introduction of the Single Market and the Euro, EU Enlargement and Intensification, and the creation of EU and National Statistical Systems. The paper concludes by identifying the challenges for Irish official statistics in the coming decade, in a global context where misuse of information and fake facts prevail.