An international dating site that pairs young women off with wealthy older men has noted a sharp rise in the numbers of hard-up Irish nurses signing up for the service.
Chiefs of US-based sugardaddie.com have attributed the soaring cost of living and skyrocketing rental market to a substantial rise in registrations from Ireland over the past year.
More than 5,000 so-called ‘sugar-babies’ have signed up to the service over the past year, with registrations between June and September surging by 37%.
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According to newly-released data, the number of cash-strapped healthcare professionals, including “a substantial number of nurses”, has increased by 41% - more than any other sector.
Next on the list is the retail and service sector, which was up by 35% followed by a 34% increase in registrations from struggling students.
Commenting on the findings, Steven Pasternack, owner of the Florida-headquartered site, said the cost of living crisis had played a significant part in driving up the service’s new registrations to over 5 million globally.
Typically the average sugar daddy is aged between 35 and 55, with “an above average income” - often a doctor, lawyer or business owner. Meanwhile, sugar babies tend to be between 20 and 35, and “above average looking”.
Pasternack added: “An increase in members joining from Ireland has come from a variety of sectors. However, we’ve particularly noticed the number of healthcare workers, who’ve joined the site, has been very high. This number includes a substantial number of nurses.”
One Irish nurse who signed up to the dating service said her “crippling financial situation” left her with no choice.
Jane [not her real name] a Dublin-based junior midwife, said she was forced to sleep on a friend’s couch before she was matched with a wealthy tech developer, also based in the city, who provides her with a generous monthly allowance.
She said: “Joining sugardaddie.com seemed like an unusual way of securing financial stability, but it’s been a life-saver from a source that I least expected.”
Another Dublin-based nurse, who was matched with a wealthy man, told how her “unimaginable financial stress” left her with no other option.
Kerry [not her real name] added: “I feel I’m one of the lucky ones, as I no longer need food banks or have to wonder how I’m going to pay my bills.”
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