Vol. 482 No. 3
5 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Taoiseach the population of counties Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan as recorded in the census of population for each of the years 1926, 1991 and 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17854/97]
The information requested by the Deputy is contained in a statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.
Population of Connacht and Ulster (part of), 1926, 1991 and 1996
|
Province, County or County Borough |
1926 |
1991 |
1996 |
|
Connacht |
552,907 |
423,031 |
433,231 |
|
Galway County and |
|||
|
County Borough |
169,366 |
180,364 |
188,854 |
|
Leitrim |
55,907 |
25,301 |
25,057 |
|
Mayo |
172,960 |
110,713 |
111,524 |
|
Roscommon |
83,556 |
51,897 |
51,975 |
|
Sligo |
71,388 |
54,756 |
55,821 |
|
Ulster (part of) |
300,091 |
232,206 |
234,251 |
|
Cavan |
82,452 |
52,796 |
52,944 |
|
Donegal |
152,508 |
128,117 |
129,994 |
|
Monaghan |
65,131 |
51,293 |
51,313 |
|
Total Connacht and Ulster (part of) |
852,998 |
655,237 |
667,482 |
The population of the province of Connacht in the last census, in 1996, was 433,231 and the corresponding figure in 1926 was 552,907. That is a substantial reduction but the figure for 1991 was 423,031 so it has stabilised considerably. In the three Ulster counties the population for 1996 was 234,251, as against 300,091 in 1926. In 1991 that figure was 232,000. It showed a slight population increase in 1996.
Population statistics for individual counties will appear in the Official Report. If the Deputy so wishes, I will refer to them briefly. Galway County and County Borough had a population of 188,854 in 1996; Leitrim had 25,057, which compares to a 1926 population of 55,907.
I suspect the Deputy is probably interested in County Mayo whose population was 111,524 in 1996. In 1926 that figure was 172,690, a reduction of some 60,000. However, in 1991, the last census before the 1996 one, the population of Mayo was 110,713. There has been a slight increase in the population of County Mayo since 1991.
County Roscommon had a population of 51,975 in 1996 compared to 83,556 in 1926. County Sligo had a population of 55,821 in 1996 compared to 71,388 in 1926. County Cavan had 52,944 in 1996 compared to 82,452 some 70 years earlier. County Donegal had a population of 129,994 in 1996 compared to 152,508 in 1926 and County Monaghan had a population of 51,313 in 1996 compared to 65,131 in 1926.
The combined population total for Connacht and Ulster (part of) in 1996 was 667,482. In 1926 that figure was 852,998, although it has stabilised in recent years.
(Mayo): I thank the Minister of State for his detailed reply. I acknowledge that considerable research was involved in obtaining the figures, which are important for plans, projections and policies.
Would the Minister of State agree that in the 70 years from 1926 to 1996 there was a huge and devastating drop in population in the Connacht and Ulster counties? Judging by the figures, more than 200,000 people, or 27 per cent of the population, have gone.
The Minister of State mentioned there has been a stabilisation of the population in some counties. For example, in Mayo there was a marginal increase of 800. According to the figures, however, some 1,226 townlands that recorded a population presence in 1926 do not have one individual living there now. Those townlands are effectively dead and do not have a bachelor, a widow, a widower or a young person living in them.
The stabilisation of the figures masks the fact that within counties people have moved to larger towns such as Galway, Sligo, Westport and Castlebar. There has been wholesale rural rot, decline and devastation.
In 1926 some 9 per cent of the population in Connacht and part of Ulster lived in towns comprising 1,500 or more people. In 1996 the figure was 27 per cent, which shows the situation has improved substantially.
The Deputy's main point concerns the fall in population in Connacht and part of Ulster. He is correct in saying it has fallen by 200,000 in 70 years, but between the last two censuses of 1991 and 1996 every county in the State, except four, showed increases in population. The four counties which did not show an increase were Longford, Cork County Borough, Limerick County Borough and Leitrim. In every other county there was an increase in population between 1991 and 1996. The Connacht-Ulster figure was 51,293 which increased to 51,313 five years later. Over the past five years the situation has stabilised. However, the Deputy's point is correct for the 70 year period.
(Mayo): Will the Minister of State agree that EU Structural and Cohesion Funds, which are intended to bridge the gap, have led to a widening gap between the eight Connacht-Ulster counties and the rest of the country, particularly in terms of GDP?
That is a policy point and I do not accept it. The population of the State has increased and there is considerable migration from these 1,200 townlands into nearby towns and cities. They and every other area in the State have availed of Structural Funds. There are many good examples of the use of Structural Funds in rural areas.
