Sir, – Cliff Taylor has an interesting analysis of the reasons for net migration adding close to 100,000 to the population in each of the past three years in “Irish population rising quickly but policy slow to keep pace in many key areas” (Opinion & Analysis, August 27th). Rather oddly, he omits international protection applications, which have increased dramatically and continue to do so in 2024.
Your columnist correctly draws attention to the need for increased housing and infrastructure to cope with the unexpected rise, but is silent on related matters such as extra health and education pressures, to say nothing of extra gardaí and prison places (crime rates stay broadly the same but current Garda Síochána and prison places are at the same level as when the population was 1,000,000 less). Our energetic Taoiseach has also expressed concerns on resources being put in place to cope with the unexpected rise but is tardy on any actual details, other than being hopeful that 40,000 houses a year can be built (still not remotely enough). Given that the body politic got the effects of signing up for EU free movement badly wrong back in May 2004 (a population surge of 450,000 in the following five years), one hopes that minds are more focused on a coherent immigration policy come the election. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL FLYNN,
Dublin 13.