The Central Statistics Office recently released the results of the Irish Health Survey 2015. The survey suggested that up to 1 in 10 people were providing care for another person, and it incorporated analysis of deprivation levels which showed some correlation between prevalence and intensity of caring responsibilities and deprivation. Analysts of these data and data from the 2011 Census of Population have suggested the pattern of caring broadly follows that of prevalence within a population of life-limiting conditions, which also grows as deprivation increases.
The figure of 1 in 10 providing care represents a considerably greater percentage than the just over 4% suggested by the 2011 Census of Population, and is closer to the results of other Censuses such as the UK Census. The detailed data from Census 2016 are expected to appear beginning in March or April 2017, which will provide an opportunity for comparison with previous Censuses and with these 2015 Health Survey data.
Results of the survey can be viewed on the CSO website here.