Population rises by 8% to slightly less than 4m

Ireland's population increase over the past six years far outstrips any other EU country, according to preliminary Irish census figures which show a rise of 8 per cent.

The population in the Republic is now at its highest level since 1871, at just under four million people.

Every major town with the exception of Cork city showed an increase in the number of residents, but the increases were greatest in the commuter-belt counties around Dublin.

The population of Dublin city and county increased by 6.1 per cent to 1.12 million, but this was lower than the 8 per cent rise for the State overall.

The "Census 2002 - Preliminary Report", published in Dublin yesterday by the Central Statistics Office, shows an increase of more than 290,000 since the last census six years ago.

Figures taken on April 28th this year by 4,000 enumerators in 100,000 streets and townlands, show a population of 3,917,336 compared to 3,626,087 in 1996.

The CSO highlights the remarkable growth in commuter counties around Dublin such as Kildare and Meath, and significant increases in other Leinster counties.

The figures confirm the projections for the National Spatial Strategy and according to a spokesman emphasise even more the need for a spatial strategy to balance growth between the greater Dublin area, where 40 per cent of the population is based, and other regions, particularly the counties of the Border, midlands and western or BMW region.

Net immigration increased by just over 25,500 a year or 153,067 overall, made up of returning emigrants and non-nationals.

The figure is almost twice the national average recorded during the 1970s, one of only two other times when net immigration was recorded, since the foundation of the State. The second time was the last census period between 1991 and 1996.

Dr Aidan Punch, senior statistician at the Central Statistics Office, said Ireland stood out among EU countries for its sustained population growth.

Other EU countries had "negative natural increases", and were not experiencing the "increases, the growth rates we're getting. We are experiencing healthy population growth for the last five years."

Ireland's annual population increase is 1.3 per cent, compared to 0.2 per cent in Belgium and Greece, or 0.4 per cent in Germany and just 0.5 per cent in France, where population growth is viewed as "bullish".

Commuter belt counties Kildare and Meath showed phenomenal population increases of more than 20 per cent, rising by 29,003 or 21.5 per cent in Kildare and 24,204 or 22.1 per cent in Meath. The number of residents in Lucan, Co Dublin, almost trebled in the same period, the highest increase of any area.

Overall, Leinster had the highest population increase of all the provinces, some 9.4 per cent or 180,747 with large increases in a number of counties including Carlow, Laois, Louth, Wicklow, Wexford and Westmeath of between 10.2 per cent and 13.8 per cent.

Co Leitrim, the smallest and least populous county in the State, also showed an increase for the first time since 1871. Its population rose by 3 per cent or 758 people from 25,057 to 25,815.

Cork city is the only major population area to show a population decrease of 3 per cent, or 3,849 people, but overall the county's population rose by 6.6 per cent, or 27,671.

Parts of Dublin showed significant decreases attributed in areas such as Ballymun and Sheriff Street to housing demolition and relocating of local communities, with a similar situation in the Glen in Cork city.

In other areas of Dublin, including Clontarf and Finglas, and in Bishopstown in Cork, ageing populations and "empty nest syndrome" were cited as a reason for declining numbers.

The CSO was confident that it had "very close to 100 per cent return" in the approximately 1.4 million forms that were sent out. Dr Punch said the enumerators were "very tough" and "left no stone unturned" to ensure all forms were returned.

Other information such as education, employment, ethnicity, age profile and computer ownership will be detailed in a more formal report, expected in 2003.

The statistics from the latest census show that there were 138,182 more births than deaths. Some 324,103 people were born in the State since 1996, while 185,921 people died. In 1841 the population of the 26 county area was 6.4 million, its highest ever since records began. The lowest population was in the late 1960s at just over 2.8 million.