Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The statistics do not break down those leaving by trade but by whether they are at work, unemployed, students or other. By far the biggest cohort is the “at work” category. Those working, who have come out of college or school, discover, as have the nurses with whom I was protesting outside St. Vincent’s hospital, that they have to leave, although they would like to stay. The reason they cannot stay is because they cannot afford the rents and the health services are a nightmare because there are not enough people. They all know people who are working abroad in far superior conditions and where the cost of living is affordable. We are haemorrhaging these people, whom we badly need, out of education, health and construction. I do not know as much about the agricultural sector but I am sure it is true. Skilled people are leaving and we need them. It is a real problem.

At least we do not have the crazy xenophobes like they have in Britain and the racist far-right groups like they have in Europe who do not seem to understand that Europe needs people. At least, we do not have that horror here. People are leaving because we are not looking after our young people and providing the basics. We need to provide conditions of employment which are decent. Precarious employment is another reason many are leaving. I welcome those workers who are coming in. They are often willing to put up with worse housing conditions, lower pay and more precarious employment conditions because in some cases they are only planning to stay for a short while.

There are other people, however, who want to make a life here. These are people who were born, raised and educated here. They say they cannot do it and that it is simply not possible for them to do it. That is a bad indictment of our position as the fastest growing economy in Europe. We need to look in detail at who is leaving. We need to address their concerns to enable us to get them to stay. This means providing decent terms and conditions of employment, decent pay and affordable housing.

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