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Rapidly ageing population to increase demand for health services

Rapidly ageing population to increase demand for health services

Ireland's population is projected to increase by up to 1.1 million by 2030.

The forecast is part of a new ESRI report which predicts major extra demand for health services - especially for older people.

The projections in this report are the first to be based on Census 2016, and are designed to give an idea of how we should be planning for our health services in the next 12 years.

It says over 65's will make up one in six of the population by 2030 up from one in eight today.

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Demand for home help care and nursing home care will jump by 54 per cent.

Demand for public hospital beds will rise by over a third - and GP visits could increase by up to 27 per cent.

The report says all this extra demand, will require major extra investment, and extra staffing in our health system.

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