# Miriam O’Callaghan on Ireland’s falling birth rates

An episode of [The Women's Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1040117877), 29 Oct 2026, 55 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6155e18746dfcc0014273af1/e/6ae38c315a3cc3c4c4b04182/media.mp3

In just one decade, Ireland’s birth rate has fallen by 30%. It’s a statistic that is worrying economists and demographers, who warn it could threaten Ireland's future workforce and place financial strain on the state pension scheme. In her new documentary, Ireland’s Population Crash, RTE broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan explores why the country is having fewer babies. In today’s episode, the veteran presenter joins Róisín Ingle to discuss how the housing crisis, childcare costs and the rise of smartphones are among the reasons why more people are choosing not to become parents and what it could mean for the country’s future. But first Irish Times features writer Nadine O’Regan is here to discuss some cultural stories of the week, including the comments made by Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins about age-gap relationships and how Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes became a victim of Ai fraud. The first episode of Ireland's Population Crash is available to watch on RTE1 on Wednesday November 4th at 9:35pm, with episode 2 out on November 11th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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