2014 was bumper year for Irish birth rate

Ireland had the highest birth rate in the EU last year at 14.4 per one thousand residents.

That is compared to the EU average of 10.1.

According to EU population estimates from Eurostat, Ireland now has a population of 4.6 million - just 0.9% of the EU population.

With 16 per cent of the total EU population, Germany continues to be the most populated EU country, ahead of France at just over 13%, and the UK at 12.9%.