Election issues: Migration to Ireland

Ireland’s rapidly growing population is one of the driving forces behind the key social issues facing the country.

Housing, healthcare and education are all impacted by the rising number of people living in the Republic.

The country has experienced a surge in migration numbers in the last two years, in large part due to tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.

There has also been an increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving from elsewhere in the world.

This, coupled with pre-existing housing shortages, has placed unprecedented strain on State accommodation provision, leading to tensions and disputes in some areas over plans to repurpose hotels and other buildings into facilities for international protection applicants.

Here, we provide a breakdown of the latest facts and figures related to migration in Ireland.

The most recent population figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed an increase of close to 100,000 in the year to April 2024, bringing the total…