A majority of young people in Ireland would consider emigration as a response to cost of living concerns, according to a recent report.
A National Youth Council of Ireland survey asked young people aged 18-24 whether they would consider emigration. 80% said that they were fearful for their futures in Ireland, with almost half of respondents adding that the high cost of living had a negative impact on their mental health.
Ciarán McGinley, 21, who was previously living in Galway, moved to Germany last week. He says he would encourage more young people to emigrate in order to achieve a better quality of life and develop new skills.
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Ciarán said: “I decided to emigrate because the economy in Germany is amazing and rent is so much cheaper than what I was paying in Ireland I would encourage more people our age to emigrate, not only because it’s a great way to learn a new language but because it's a healing way of life with more benefits .”
The survey, which was commissioned by the Red C, showed that 70% of people are actively considering the possibility of working abroad. Many expressed concerns that they were struggling to keep up with rent and had experienced difficulties with accessing housing over the past six months.
The National Youth Council of Ireland expressed worry at the findings. NYCI’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, Paul Gordon, said the results showed a need to consider young people in cost of living discussions.
Paul said: “There is a real fear from young people about what the future holds for them. Many say they’re struggling to make ends meet and quality-of-life considerations are driving them to consider a future outside of Ireland. Government must act to ensure young people aren’t overlooked in this crisis.”
The NYCI called on government to introduce several measures for young people, including a wider rollout of the Young Adult travel card, which provides people aged 18-24 with a 50 per cent reduction on public transport. They also urged for reductions in college registration fees and an increase on the national minimum wage, which currently stands at €10.50 an hour for those aged 20 and over.
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