Irish emigration figures soar to new heights

With unemployment in the Republic of Ireland now standing at nearly 15 per cent, the newly released emigration figures for the financial year until April should come as no surprise.

The report, issued by the Irish Central Statistics Office, revealed that 87,100 people emigrated during the last financial year, a figure which comprises almost two per cent of Ireland’s population. The figure is the highest since 1987, when record began to be kept, and 92 per cent of those leaving were under 45, with 35,800 between the ages of 15 and 25.

According to Irish migration expert Prof. Bronwen Walter from Anglia Polytechnic University, the number is far bigger than in the mass emigration years of the 1950s and 1980s. Ireland’s long history of emigration has always related to economic disasters, but the effect of the 2008 financial crisis on the formerly highly successful country has resulted in even more people leaving to find work.

Young people in particular are finding it almost impossible to get a job, even if their qualifications are excellent, and the recent international jobs fair in Dublin was mobbed by the country’s brightest and best queuing at booths presented by Canada , New Zealand and Australian companies. Many more, it seems, with be exiting the country during this financial year.

Irish marketing consultant Carol O’Hanlon, relocating with her husband and baby to the UK within the next few weeks, said the lack of jobs was the reason for their leaving. We’re looking for a better, less negative quality of life, she said, adding that prospects in the UK seemed better than in Ireland.

Dublin- based migration agency VisaFirst’s Edwina Shanahan said her firm was dealing with an increased number of requests for details about Canada, New Zealand and Australia. She added that the common language made the transition easier, adding that lifestyle, weather and a better life for families were also reasons for the exodus.