Ms Mary Cunningham:

Deputy Crowe asked whether providing information encourages people to emigrate. It is necessary to have a mature conversation about emigration and the shame that has been associated with it historically. We need to grow up in that regard and respond to the reality of the lives of young people. Emigration is a reality and people emigrate for positive and less positive reasons. We need to embrace it as it is part of the reality of young people's lives. What information do young people need to ensure they are well equipped before they go abroad? This point was highlighted by the assumption many emigrants made that their qualifications would transfer to their destination. They did not realise, for example, that it costs a significant amount of money to have one's qualifications verified in Canada. Those who do not receive sufficient financial support from parents or family members to complete this process can find themselves on the back foot.

On bank accounts, I do not know if members have tried to open an additional bank account here. Even when one approaches the same bank, it can appear that one does not exist as one must produce utility bills and so forth. This also applies in the United Kingdom in cases where a person seeks to open an account in the same branch of a bank where he or she has a bank account. Problems then arise because people cannot get an address or receive a utility bill until they have a bank account. Addressing this issue should be a matter for discussion.

Young people are also finding it very difficult to obtain a contract for a telephone because many of them do not have a credit history. Practical information on these types of issues would make life much easier for emigrants. We all have family members abroad. Even those who are well qualified are finding that life is not the bed of roses they had anticipated, particularly in Australia where the cost of living is crippling. While emigrants may not be living in digs, they often stay in hostels for long periods.

On Deputy Brendan Smith's point, many emigrants will ask what would be their first point of contact if they encountered a problem. For many of them, the first point of contact is not the Irish embassy but the local GAA club. That is not to detract from the excellent work being done by Irish embassies. Nevertheless, they could do more to reach out in a more proactive manner and make themselves available to young people, not specifically those facing a dire problem but simply letting people know they are available. The GAA network overseas has great strength and young people take with them from their home communities a strong connection with the GAA. One finds the young people from certain villages and towns often congregate in the same place abroad for the same reason. Young people left behind in Ireland will travel to X, Y or Z town in a foreign country because it is where people from their home town are located.