DETAILS OF the 2011 Census results continue to surprise and inform as they chart unexpected population growth and settlement patterns. In the past, Ireland fared badly in planning for the future needs of citizens, be it in terms of physical infrastructure, education, health and a range of other matters. These recent findings – along with other results being prepared – will provide the Government with hard information on which they can base policy developments.
Despite the return of emigration, high birth rates brought an 8 per cent rise in population between 2006 and 2011. At the same time, as farm incomes rose, the percentage of people living in rural areas continued to decline. The population of urban areas amounted to 60 per cent. All of these changes have policy implications in terms of electoral boundaries, local government, transport, energy, housing and job creation.
Irish Planning Institute president Brendan Allen has suggested radical reform of the planning system, blaming the 88 local planning authorities, including town and borough councils, for contributing to poor decision-making. Initially, he said, planning should be conducted at county and city level with only 34 authorities, to minimise the “focus on localism”. That form of administrative change has been proposed in a number of official documents but is being resisted at local level. In line with campaigns being waged to retain rural schools and post offices, along with local Garda stations, any loss of service, status or influence is likely to be challenged. Notwithstanding such resistance, old ways of doing things must be shown to be fit for purpose. In 50 years, the population has grown from 2.8 million to 4.58 million. A flight from the land has created a largely urban society with different needs.
One-third of people born outside the State now live in the Dublin area. That reflects the general population balance in the State. Internal population movements that were driven partly by housing costs, fell sharply after 2006. A downturn in the economy and falling property prices has also led to some 80 per cent of recent movers renting their accommodation. Meath, the midlands and the south east experienced the highest population growth during this time and that pattern is expected to continue until 2026. The population of Dublin city is predicted to fall by a small margin in the same period. No matter where you live, nuggets of interesting information can be found in these figures. Their primary purpose, however, is to facilitate good planning.