How we produce statistics

We are committed to quality and always strive to ensure accurate, detailed statistics.

Commitment to quality

We support government decision-making through advocacy, analysis and evidence. This is an important part of our role as a national energy authority. Annual publication of high quality, robust energy statistics is integral to this. We update our methodologies and data collection strategies often in line with EU requirements. The need to monitor and evaluate policies and targets is also considered.

Quality reports

Every five years, member states must provide Eurostat with a report on the quality of their data. Quality reports include any methodological changes. We submitted the most recent set of reports to Eurostat in July 2022. Copies of the reports are freely available.

Energy balance data

The greenhouse gas inventory by the Environmental Protection Agency uses energy balance data. Part of the UNFCCC in-country reviews of the GHG inventory focus on the energy balance. This happens every five years and ultimately drives improvements here.

Working with stakeholders

We regularly engage with our primary stakeholder, The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The International Energy Agency also conduct a regular review.

Ongoing bilateral discussions take place with other key stakeholders. These include the:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG)
Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU)
Central Statistics Office (CSO)

We also interact with the CSO in a number of statistical liaison groups: the Formal Statistician Liaison Group, the Energy Statistics Liaison Group, and the Transport Statistics Liaison Group.

Data validation

We validate data in several ways. Survey data is input to a central spreadsheet and we carry out automatic checks on it.

Revisions

A list of any major revisions is published in our annual Energy in Ireland report.

Standards and classifications

We collect energy data on the basis of the Energy Statistics Regulation. We conform to the standards, definitions, units and classifications in the Regulation. Electricity and gas prices conform to Electricity and Gas Prices Regulation requirements. They are comparable between Member States.

Confidentiality

We enforce strict confidentiality rules as set by the CSO.

Metadata

See the Eurostat website for metadata information around energy statistics.

Documents

Quality Commitment Statement

The SEAI is committed to quality and continuously strives to improve and ensure accurate, precise, and detailed statistics. The SEAI subscribes fully to the principles set out in the Irish Statistical System Code of Practice (ISSCOP) and has signed a statement of commitment to these principles. See full document.

Methodology

The scope and detail of the statistics collected and processed are determined by several factors, including international reporting obligations, informing, and supporting evidence-based policy, providing data to help guide government infrastructure investment, and to educate and update the public to promote active citizenship on climate change and sustainability. See full document.

Dissemination & Revisions

The Energy Statistics team, under the head of the Data & Insights Department in SEAI, has sole responsibility for deciding on the content and timing of statistical releases (subject to the completeness of the data and requirements associated with international reporting obligations). See full document.

Confidentiality Commitment Statement

Given Ireland's small size and limited number of actors in certain sectors, particular care is taken to obfuscate and aggregate data-entries and categories that would otherwise potentially identify or provide market-intelligence on the data provider. See full document.