Irish Statistics Strategy - some perspectives based on Danish experience

Presentation at launch event, Dublin 10 September 2015

Jørgen ElmeskovDirector-General

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Overview

Some words of humility Broad comparison of two strategies The role of administrative registers

The background: why the Irish-Danish differences? Requirements for and opportunities in administrative

registers Risks

Summing up

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Many commonalities in the coverage of statistical strategiesIssue Ireland Denmark

Coordination across statistical system X X

Responding to users, communication X X

Privacy and data protection X X

Research data infrastructure X X

Harnessing Big Data X X

Balancing EU and domestic needs X X

Skills needs X (X)

National data infrastructure X

Internal efficiency, streamlining IT X

Commercial activities X

Stronger analytical content X

Quality, consistency of statistics X

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Differences on individual issues reflect national starting points

The National Data Infrastructure is central to Irish strategy, reflecting the limited development of administrative registers

The (perceived) need for SD to strengthen analysis and, in some areas, quality will demand resources.

Given a stringent budget environment this explains focus on efficiency and commercial activities in Danish Strategy

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Why do we differ in the use of administrative data? Resemble each other in many respects,…

Small, open economies Small, homogenous communities

…but differ in other respects,… Anglo-saxon (?) vs Nordic attitude to rulers Independent national state for 100 vs. 1100 years Role of multinationals

…which may have influenced approaches to identification and statistics Concern about national ID programmes vs… …trusting the government with sensitive data Sensitivity to business desires for privacy

Health

Employ-ment

Educa-tion

Social

etc

CPR

BDR CBR

Question-naire

Inter-view

Cadastre

VAT

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The statistical information system in Denmark

TaxPerson id:

Person Number

Enterprise id:CBR-No

Dwelling id:Address

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Requirements and opportunities associated with administrative registers and their use in statistics

Main requirement: political courage to enforce unique identifiers for individuals, enterprises and fixed property

Not a huge technological challenge – in Denmark the system was rolled out in the 1960s and 70s

The benefits of administrative registers are vast and mostly lie beyond statistics Statistical needs were never a driving force behind administrative

registers in Denmark Still, they allow for good quality statistics on the cheap Opportunities in integrated, longitudinal timeseries include:

- Research (SD Research Service is 27 years old; globally known)- Policy analysis (ministries use microdata to design and quantify effects of new

legislative initiatives, before and after introduction)

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Risks associated with administrative registers and their use in statistics

Risks include: Pressure for administrative use of statistical data

- A hard line not to provide microdata may have to be accompanied by a pedagogical effort

Risks associated with security glitches- Not just breach of confidentiality in itself (bad as it is), but could

jeopardise the whole ”business model”- Both outside and inside threats need to be guarded against

With due attention, and at a cost, these risks can be managed

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Summing up

Much overlap in respective strategies Differences reflect starting points Denmark has been tremendously helped by

administrative registers/National Data Infrastructure There are risks, but they can be overcome