A confidential Government paper warned that Ireland needed migration to sustain its workforce and public services even as calls for a crackdown on immigration grew. It said across Europe there had been “a change in the public discourse on migration” and that governments were struggling to deal with that. The research said Ireland’s ageing population meant there would be fewer people of working age available to support them. However, it said Ireland’s current system for immigration was fragmented, with employment permits, student visas, asylum applicants, family reunification and undocumented individuals. In its conclusions, it said migration had allowed Ireland to fulfil multiple objectives but had also given rise to some “unanticipated outcomes”.

Source: The Irish Times February 13, 2026 08:58 UTC