Migration needed to sustain Ireland's workforce, report warns

Research showed that certain sectors of the Irish economy were 'heavily reliant' on non-Irish citizens

By 2051, the number of workers per pensioner is expected to fall from 4.5 to 2.3, according to research from the Department of the Taoiseach. File picture 

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.

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.