What do the Census 2022 results mean for you?
Image: Unsplash
What do the Census 2022 results mean for you?
Words: Ellen Kenny
We compiled the four most important things to take away from the preliminary results. It’s not looking great.
So, your various memes and inside jokes have been forever enshrined in the census’ time capsule. But what do the Census 2022 results mean for you right now?
- Bouncing back?
On Census Night (greatest event of the year), the population of the Republic of Ireland was 5,123,536. That’s a 7.6 per cent increase from 2016, and the highest population in the Republic since 1841. Looks like we’re back on our pre-Famine groove. No one tell the British.
- More people, fewer houses
An increase in the population by no means equals an increase in places to live. Who do you think we are, a functioning country?
According to the Census, the population increase continues to outstrip growth in the number of new homes in Ireland.
The country’s housing stock grew by six per cent, between 2016 and 2022 to more than 2.1 million, a slower rate of increase than the eight per cent increase in the population.
Kildare is the only county where the housing stock grew more than the population. Kildare Village continues to expand its empire.
- Houses do not equal homes
Definitely do not assume that all those houses are actually housing people.
The vacancy rate of houses in Ireland (excluding holiday homes) actually fell in 2022 by 9 per cent to 7.8 per cent.
Don’t get too excited. Dublin City and Galway City have the highest number of vacant rental properties in Ireland, at 30 per cent and 38 per cent respectively.
A high number of these vacant properties are likely properties used as AirBnBs that were empty on Census Night, the Central Statistics Office predicts. Because properties have to consider the imaginary tourists before the very real homeless people in Ireland, right?
- Higher population equals more TDs
At least you’ll have more representatives to complain to soon.
With a population of five million, there will have to be at least 171 TDs in the next Dáil to comply with the constitution. There must be one TD for every 30000 people.
An increase in TDs in the Dáil will require some changes to the Irish political landscape. Constituency boundaries might be redrawn (not great if you’re a candidate and suddenly lose your base to a neighbouring constituency), or the maximum number of TDs allowed per constituency might increase from five to six or seven.
Either way, a general election can’t happen until an official review about these changes by the Electoral Commission, which won’t happen until mid 2023. So we’re stuck with everyone’s favourite coalition until then. Brilliant.
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