Most countries regard a declining population as a threat, and a rising population as a good thing.
This is one reason why the ageing societies of Western Europe have welcomed millions of immigrants in recent decades, as their native populations have declined.
At Government buildings on Wednesday, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan was at pains to frame Ireland’s problem as one of immediate capacity, not underlying demographics. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said Ireland’s rate of population growth is too high and the Government’s new restrictions on family reunification and citizenship grants are intended to reduce it.
We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Political Editor at The Irish Times, Pat Leahy, who wrote a piece this week highlighting just how many people moved to Ireland last year and how many of them were asylum seekers.