Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

One should look at the economy over recent years or the census returns which issued some months ago. They show the population of the country rose by 8%, approximately 270,000 people, in six years. One would not find another country in the world, not to mind Europe, where the population increased by 8% nationally in six years. That is an enormous increase in population. Many people who have come back to the country are of an age where they are setting up house and that obviously puts pressure on the situation.

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