THE YEAR 2008 will be remembered for its booming maternity wards, plummeting new car sales and lengthening dole queues, according to the latest Statistical Yearbook of Ireland.
The Central Statistics Office data shows it was a year in which the highest number of births was recorded since 1896, with 75,065 new babies. Almost one-third were delivered outside marriage last year, but registered marriages increased by over 300 to 22,243.
The number of private new cars registered fell by almost 20 per cent between 2007 and 2008.
The 387-page tome throws up many contradictions. Despite the recession, Irish residents made slightly more trips abroad than in 2007, with 7,877,000 trips logged. Spending on travel increased by 12.2 per cent last year. Irish residents also travelled more at home.
Planning permission approvals for new homes fell by 26 per cent in less than 10 years but apartment planning permission approvals were up 54 per cent.
People receiving illness, disability and caring payments soared by 47.6 per cent between 2001 and 2008, while the number receiving jobseeker supports increased by more than 86 per cent.
The average annual number on the Live Register increased from 162,000 in 2007 to 227,000 .
Contradictions were apparent in crime statistics with a significant fall in murder and manslaughter offences (from 133 to 89), but a rise in attempts or threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences.
There was an increase of 101,700 in households with a home computer in early 2008, compared with the same period in 2007. Some 70 per cent said they had a computer in early 2008.
The Statistical Yearbook of Ireland 2009 is available on the CSO website at www.cso.ie
