Housing Crisis

A new generation emigration: Why so many young people no longer see a reason to stay here

Alanna MacNamee finds an air of pessimism among some young people who can only see a bleak future here with rising costs and expensive rents and housing

Alex O'Callaghan: ‘Nobody here is optimistic about the future of the country,’ says the Cork English language teacher who is planning to emigrate. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

“It comes up in conversation all the time. Any time I’m on a night out with the lads or chatting in the smoking area or whatever, it comes up how Ireland’s not a place for young people. It comes down to a decision: what kind of future do you want? If you want to own a house or have those kinds of opportunities, then you’d better leave.”

Shane Conaty, a 27-year-old living in Maynooth, is talking to the Business Post about emigration, a subject that’s on everyone’s minds – so much so that a recent survey on behalf of the National Youth Council of Ireland found that more than 70 per cent of young people are considering emigrating because they believe their quality of life would be better elsewhere. The ‘Irish Moving to Australia 2022’ Facebook group currently has 9.1k members.