Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

First, no one is pushing young people out of the country, nor is there any evidence that large numbers of them are emigrating. What emerged today in the quarterly national household survey is that two thirds of young workers who came here from eastern Europe, who have lost their jobs, are returning home. That is why there is an increase in the number of people leaving the country. There is no evidence to show that young Irish people are leaving.