The Department of the Taoiseach research said the country faced a “conundrum” of needing skilled labour even as it added to pressures on housing and infrastructure

Five children and nine women were among 35 people deported from Ireland to Nigeria on Wednesday night.

In a pre-election interview, the Taoiseach also discussed the housing and cost-of-living crises.

Some 19 arrests were made across the day and Garda public order units deployed as Irish flag-waving protesters objecting to Government immigration policies staged the sit-down demonstration on O’Connell Bridge.