9.2 Diverse and Inclusive Region

9.2 Diverse and Inclusive Region

Figure from page 199

The age profile of the Region is in general very similar to that of the country as a whole, with slightly higher rates in the young working ages (20 to 39 years), and it is expected to follow similar trends over the coming years, most notably an increasing ageing population. Figure 9.1 shows the largest increases in population are expected in the 15-24 year cohort (+54%), 45-64 year cohort (+33%) and 65 plus (+64%), over the lifetime of the RSES to 203160.

Changing household formation trends will require a range of housing typologies including student housing, smaller units, shared living schemes and flexible designs that are adaptive for people’s full life cycle to meet their housing needs today and into the future.

60 CSO Regional Population Projections 2016-2031 (Traditional M2F2 scenario) December 2013

Figure from page 200

Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy

Age Friendly Communities

Traveller Community

There is an urgent need for responsive planning policy to avoid an ageing population crisis. In 2016, just under 1 in 8 people in the Region are aged over 65 but it is this cohort that is projected to increase most significantly over the lifetime of the RSES, with growth rates of over 85’s set to almost double. The RSES recognises that many factors that contribute to a good quality of life for older people are community-based and that all sectors– government, businesses, voluntary groups, service providers, local authorities and the public – have a role in creating an age-friendly society.

The Traveller community in Ireland represents c.1% of the population and, according to the ESRI’s 2017 research paper A Social Portrait of Travellers in Ireland, experiences different social and economic conditions from the wider population. This includes different age profiles, rates of fertility, health profiles (including life expectancy) and levels of discrimination.