Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for his reply. I am pleased to hear that the Department's projections are up to date and in line with the preliminary census findings. We all welcome the 8% increase in the population of the State since 2006 that was highlighted in the preliminary findings. I was glad to hear that the population of my own county, which is very rural, has increased by 14%. It is very welcome in light of the prevalence of emigration in County Cavan over the decades. Another positive aspect of the preliminary population returns is the fact that Ireland has the youngest age profile and the fewest dependent older people in the EU. Many other member states are very concerned about the age profile trends in those countries. In light of the preliminary data that are available, are the Minister and the Department satisfied that the recently announced school building programme, which specified the locations of the primary and post-primary schools that will be built, will meet the needs of new and emerging areas with large young and schoolgoing populations?

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