Press Release

19th July 2006
Fingal: Irelands fastest growing county

The Central Statistics Office has today released preliminary results from the 2006 Census of Population. These results only relate to basic population numbers, and are made available at county and town level.
As expected, Fingal had the highest growth of any County or City in the state with 43,400 additional persons since 2002. This also constitutes the highest growth rate in the state at 22%. This is almost three times the rate of national growth. This is a very high level of growth for a period of four years and exceeds any previous localised population increase in the history of the state.
This population increase now means that Fingal constitutes 5.7% of the national population while previously it was just over 5.0%.
In absolute numbers Fingal is the fourth largest Local Authority Area, and if this rate of growth continues it will be the third most populous county overtaking South Dublin by 2008. At a more local level Fingal was by far the fastest growing of the 4 areas within the Dublin Region (Dublin City, South Dublin, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown) absorbing 68% of the population growth of the Dublin Region.
The population figures are available at an electoral division level, which reveal how the growth is localised. The Central Statistics Office list that 8 of the 20 fastest growing Electoral Divisions (ED) in the country are in Fingal. Blakestown Electoral Division in Blanchardstown grew by 7,901 persons, which was the highest rate of growth for an ED, and is now by far the most heavily populated ED in the country.
In addition to the overall growth of the county there are significant localised growth figures that are worthy of more discussion:

• Since 2002 Swords, the County town of Fingal, grew to 43,360 which is an increase of 25.4%. This figure is almost the same as the population of Waterford City
• Blanchardstown grew by 20.6% and now consists of 86, 488 people. Like Swords it is much bigger than many other towns in the state. For instance Blanchardstown is now bigger than Galway and Limerick Cities
• Balbriggan grew at a rate slightly higher than predicted at 45% to 16, 217. This will continue to grow since further residential developments are planned or under construction

John Tierney, Manager of Fingal County Council, acknowledging the enormous challenge that this population increase presents to the County Council outlined, "These figures demonstrate the ongoing need for the provision by all state agencies of key infrastructure and services to support this population increase. "
Councillor Ciaran Byrne, Chairperson of Fingal Development Board, further outlined, "The implications of this growth must be discussed by the Board and illustrates the necessity of a co-ordinated response from state agencies."

For further information please contact:

Ciaran Staunton, Strategy Development Officer, Fingal Development Board