TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

And, though the strong state control of citizens’ lives is often criticised, there is an underlying
appreciation of what it brings, especially the reduction of anti-social behaviour so prevalent
during the first decade of the century.
Above all, Irish society is practical and pragmatic. Road networks, public transport systems and
utility services are all very efficient. Spatial planning is well organised. Excellent healthcare
provision exists and education at all levels is first-class. Overall, the populace is well cared for
form cradle to grave. There is, of course, a price, and taxes are high.
Culturally, Ireland has seen a resurgence of interest in its history, arts, music, dance and
literature. Heritage, however, is subject to the same “managerialism” as pervades all other
aspects of civic life, and suffers from a surfeit of standardisation and quality control. Society is
now unashamedly “worthy”, if, by former behaviour, a little dull. Dublin, in particular, is no
longer the party-town it once was, through many breathe more easily as a result.
Despite the decline of the role of the family over recent times in many Western societies, it
still plays an important part in Irish society. Nevertheless, families are smaller than they used
to be a few decades ago, and in 2028 the census showed that 35% of families were formed by a
lone parent, a quarter of these being father and child or children. In addition, the strong
community spirit, so characteristic of Ireland in the 20 th century, has gradually weakened over
the past 30 years. Today, most “communities” are based on non-family and non-geographical
links such as interest groups, professional associations and voluntary organisations.
In the world of “Wild Cats of Equality” organised religion in Ireland has been disappearing. The
Catholic faith never recovered from the loss of confidence at the turn of the century, and the
growth of a strong and active Muslim community during the 2010’s was severely curtailed when
immigration was strictly controlled and repatriation introduced around 2020. There has,
however, been an upsurge of small spiritual movements, based on lifestyle, over the past ten
years to replace the part played by formal religious groupings.
In terms of security, a general climate of law and order prevails. Citizens are, on the whole,
dutiful and honest. This, in part, is credited to the emphasis placed on mandatory civic studies
courses in schools, as well as the community welfare oriented policies proselytised by the
popular parties of the centre-left that now dominate Irish politics. Notwithstanding this broad
mood of good civil behaviour, there is a growing underground movement of anti-State
protesters, the “Orwellians”, who regularly yet unpredictably, conduct a series of “smobbing”
activities on government websites.
The total population of the state in 2030 is 5.13 million, of which about 2.0 million live in the
Greater Dublin Area, and the expected demographic bulge has occurred as Ireland’s populace
gradually aged, so that the number of “old” now exceed the number of “young”, and there is a
dependency ratio fast approaching 40%. Fertility rates, however, remain at the top of the
European league; mortality rates have slowed to 35,000 a year, with improved life expectancy
of 81 years for males and 86 for females; marriage rates have declined significantly, and more
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