COST OF LIVING. Housing. A reliable, efficient transport network.
The number of Irish people leaving Ireland has reached its highest point in almost a decade, according to new figures from the CSO this week, and the above are some of the major reasons cited by our readers.
While it’s significantly different from the pain evoked with the generation who left Ireland following the 2008 financial collapse, a number of those who are leaving are desperately disappointed over feeling it was time to leave their homeland.
Many reported difficulties with trying to access more stable living arrangements, to a better quality of life.
Among the comments we received:
Here are our readers’ stories.
Civil engineer aged in his mid 20s from Dublin who moved to Melbourne in May
“[My partner and I] made the move because many of our friends had already left Dublin, either for London or Australia, so it felt like the right time for a change. We chose Australia because our professions are well-paid here, and we have family and friends nearby. Plus, we wanted a complete change in our lives.
“In terms of work, I’m earning €800 more per month after tax here than I was back home for a similar role. My partner is earning about the same as before but with less responsibility, having previously been a manager.
“Although people often talk about the high cost of living in Australia, we’ve found it to be cheaper than Dublin.
“Back home, we were paying €1600 a month for an old, damp one-bedroom apartment in Dun Laoghaire. Now, for the same money, we’re living in a brand-new apartment in a great neighborhood. Utility bills are also much lower—our last energy bill here in winter was just €90, compared to over €300 in Dublin.”
29-year-old Dublin man in the process of moving to the coastal town of Sitges in northeast Spain
“[Myself and my partner] moved home to Dublin a year ago but life here is proving to be a massive challenge. I am an English teacher, he is a senior business analyst, both have Masters degrees. We have to stay with my mother because its impossible to find a place.
“In the first 3-4 months we emailed 120 apartments and only had 4 viewings. I heard that landlords prioritise male/female couples and those with children. Two guys might be viewed as troublesome.
“My partner is non-EU and the constant news from far-right racists stirring up trouble and hate is draining and adding an element of fear into our lives. Teenagers run riot here unchecked and any violence they cause in the city centre goes without punishment.
“Finally, the public transport situation; it takes up to 90 minutes by bus to the city centre from Tallaght. I even gave up a job in UCD as the hellish commute was 2 hours each way.
“Meanwhile, in the Barcelona area we have found a lovely 2-bed apartment to rent for €1100 in the centre of Sitges. The train runs frequently to Barcelona and arrives in 40 minutes, the option of hybrid work is far more appealing, the beach is nearby and people generally seem much friendlier.
“LGBT life is thriving, gay people don’t fear holding hands, in comparison to Dublin which has taken a step backwards due to the far right agitation.”
A 25-year-old-woman who moved to London from Dublin last November
“I was lucky enough to save whilst living at home in my early 20s and during covid. I still however have no prospects in this economy, why would I pay extortionate prices to rent in Dublin? As a single female in my 20s, I wouldn’t even broach the mortgage subject.
“I hate to say it but what has the city for me, why should I stay? The same (limited) nightlife, monotonous routines and lack of diversity await me in Dublin. I couldn’t justify it any longer, I didn’t want to regret spending my 20s in a city with no potential (in my opinion!).
“London some may argue is just as expensive if not more expensive. I feel like I have more quality of life here. Yes I pay incredible amounts in rent, but I have independence. I have different plans every weekend. I can hop on a train to Europe at a moments notice. I have a really great job with bright prospects. I question as to whether I’d have this in Dublin.
“On the other hand, I cannot deny that I love Ireland and do eventually plan to return and hopefully one day raise a family in the place that was so vital to my upbringing. As much negativity there is around emigration and the state of Ireland as a whole, I still cherish my connection and roots. I cannot justify living independently there right now. One day I do hope things will change and we can return.
“I am human! I miss my family and friends dearly, I think that’s why I settled in London, only a stone’s throw away – but far enough I can have my own life.”
Rachel, an engineer who moved to Australia last year
“In all honesty, the thought of paying 700+ a month to be living in cramped mouldy share house for at least four more years until I could maybe consider buying a house was far too depressing.
“I’ve traded that for housing I could only dream of for the same price and a salary increase of about €20,000, so I am far more comfortable financially. The cost of living really isn’t hugely different with how much everything shot up in Ireland the last few years.
“I was shocked, however, at how difficult the employment market has become over here. For my entire life I was told that engineering essentially guaranteed you work in Australia but that is far from true in their current economy.
“Most people arriving on Working Holiday Visas are finding their CVs blacklisted if they are not in Health Care or Teaching.
“I got exceptionally lucky to find an amazing company that took the chance on me. However, I have seen so many with degrees and 3+ years’ experience in areas of Science, IT, Pharma, Engineering etc struggle to even get an interview.
“Essentially it is not all sunshine and roses and if you are looking for guaranteed job security and career progression, it may be best to stay home. Most people out here, myself included, all see this place as temporary though, and the dream is to be able to afford a house and a life back home.”
An electrician, 32, from Kilkenny who emigrated to move to Australia
“Factors for leaving the country I lived in for over 31 years include:
“It’s not the country I remember growing up as a kid. It’s sad state of affairs unfortunately and it’s being run by a bunch of wealthy rich out of touch morons.”
Bar and hospitality worker who’s heading for Berlin
“I moved to Dublin from Galway in March 2021, during the pandemic. Dublin was actually quite exciting once restrictions eased.
“I worked in nightlife and was also involved outside of work. Clubs were busy, and things were going well. There was hope and optimism surrounding nightlife with the promise of new legislation extending opening hours and reducing costs.
“However, almost four years later, there has been no progress. In fact, the situation seems to have worsened, with more clubs and venues closing and the overall cost of living increasing significantly in the past year.
“I’ll be moving to Berlin because it offers much more freedom regarding nightlife, and the cost of living is significantly lower than in Dublin. My rent in Berlin will be about half of what I currently pay here. Interestingly, 60% of the people I’ve spoken with in the past month have also said they are planning to move.
“The bang for buck in Ireland is just so poor. We pay extortionate costs on everything yet we don’t see that reflected in the likes of transport infrastructure, healthcare, and housing. It feels like everyone is being squeezed for as much money as possible.”
Anonymous, 42, leaving for the UK this week
“For the last ten years of my life I have tried in vain to buy a house, a home, a place to call my own. I’m 42-years-of-age and have been waiting for my life to change for 10 years.
“The government has really done a number on single buyers like me. Not only that, but they have me and others living in substandard housing conditions with very little legal rights.
“In January of this year, after being sale agreed on a house for over a year where probate had never been lodged, and should not have been sale to begin with, I woke up in my mould ridden rental which I had coughed my way through the past 3 winters in and had enough.
“My solicitor told me that I could be waiting another year or two for my sale to go through, and looking at the price property in the same location, my ship had sailed. I’m 42 years of age and have been waiting for my life to change for 10 years.
“I secured a UK mortgage in May, went sale agreed in June, got my keys in July, and move into my house in the UK in one of my favorite cities on Friday. The kicker is that I will be paying less on a mortgage than I have been paying on rent for years – all for a two bedroom (mould free) house with a huge garden for my rescue dog.
“For the same property in a city in Ireland, I would be paying 50-60% more.
“I am excited to finally have a home of my own, to have security and actually have income to be able to afford meals out again. I am sad to leave Ireland but it will all be worth it for a standard of life that Ireland and its Government could not, nor will be able to provide me with in my lifetime.”
H, aged in her 30s, who left Dublin for Germany
“I left Ireland over two years ago. I don’t see myself ever moving back. I spent a year in my twenties teaching English in China after my studies, and came back in 2014.
“The next eight years in Dublin were soul destroying. I constantly questioned why I had come back as I struggled to hold down jobs for more than a few months. Companies shut down, or would only give me month long contracts which weren’t renewed.
“I hopped from job to job, getting emergency taxed every single time I changed jobs, thousands of euros taken off me each time. For this reason I couldn’t even entertain the thought of renting, and lived with my parents.
“I took the leap and moved to Germany. It would be a lie to say I’m never homesick. However Ireland has little to nothing to offer me, and I haven’t felt that I can offer it any more of my time and energy for a long while.
“My best decision was to leave and I will always stick by that decision. The system is literally as James Joyce said ‘the sow who eats her farrow’. Politicians play havoc with people’s health and livelihoods while lining their own pockets. I am under no illusions that other countries are the same.
“But I do have hope here despite not speaking the language perfectly and not being a skilled worker. I would urge any young person feeling as alone and isolated as I did to move. You will not regret it.”
Chartered accountant, 30, who moved from Dublin to Stockholm in Sweden last year after a year of planning
“[My employer] decided to downsize their Irish operations [and] as a result, my role in Ireland was longer feasible, but the company wanted me to stay with them and offered me the opportunity to relocate with them and expand my role in Stockholm.
“This is where their main head office is located, and offered me the opportunity to grow within the company and access to work directly with group management, which is very beneficial from a career perspective long term.
“The relocation package was also quite generous in terms of support with getting settled in Sweden (finding accommodation, personal numbers, language classes) and a bonus (in saying that the SEK has decreased in value to EURO so salary is probably lower now in EURO terms).
On a personal level, it offered me the opportunity to leave home (I was 29 at the time and still living at home, thanks to the mess that is the Dublin housing market!), and move in with my partner who relocated with me.
“It has given me the chance to explore Sweden and neighbouring countries, which is somewhere I would not usually tend to visit.
“On a surprising note, I actually find Stockholm in many respects to be cheaper than Dublin which I was not expecting. Yes, its more expensive to eat out but on a day to day level it is the same or cheaper and has a functioning public transport system.
“I am currently one year living here, enjoying it and plan to stay a bit longer but I still feel kind of an “outsider” here.
Ultimately, I plan to come home to Ireland but unsure as to a timeline. Ideally I would like to continue to grow within my company for another while but if that can be done from Ireland remains to be seen.”
Tadhg Moore, who moved to Hamilton in New Zealand last year
“My partner finished her PhD last year and were trying to figure out where to we would move to next. Faced with the classic two-people, two careers, early-30’s problem of finding a location that could offer us both jobs in the next step of our careers, with both of us having a relatively niche expertise in Freshwater Research.
“I had been working at a university in Ireland in Scientific Research but had found the work there stunting. There is a plethora of opportunities in the US but finding something for both of us in the “ideal” location was going to be challenging.
“I got offered a job at a small environmental consulting firm that had exciting projects in my area of expertise. Through my boss’ contacts we were able to find a research position for my partner. After living here for nearly a year we are both enjoying the life New Zealand has to offer. Easy access to the outdoors, friendly welcoming people and relatively low-level life stress. The straightforward and promptness of accessing healthcare has also been a great bonus.
“Personally, I do not envision myself returning to Ireland. There are many more opportunities in my field here. When it comes to New Zealand’s approach to improving freshwater quality nationally, there is a strong focus on actively improving water quality.
“Whereas in Ireland, I felt that there is not a great desire to act on deteriorating water quality and there are not as many opportunities to work in that space like there is here. There is a great Irish community here and they are quick to sell you all the upsides to living here versus back home with common themes of career progression and the ability to purchase a home.”
Emigrating to Switzerland for a change of life and a change of job
“I emigrated with my partner to Switzerland in Summer 2021. Partly for a change from Ireland where I had lived all my life, and partly for a job offer.
“We would consider moving home in the next couple of years but there would be many downsides to returning to Ireland, compared to the quality of life in Switzerland. The pay is higher here, the tax is lower, the winters are more bearable with skiing, and the summers are hotter.
“The main advantage above all is probably the public transport, where every town and village in the country are connected by regular, and (relatively) fast trains.
“Ireland has its own advantages in having family and friends there, the better pub atmosphere and more familiar culture of “good craic” English-speaking people. But we feel like we would definitely be taking a hit on life quality to move home.
“I hope Ireland can, in particular, develop a much Improved public transport system and better housings conditions for rental and buying over the coming years, though I find this difficult to imagine.”
Choosing Switzerland due to health services
“I decided to emigrate to Switzerland as my partner is expecting a baby soon. The wait time for GP services [in Ireland] is three weeks. Four weeks to get bloods taken, and a further one to two weeks to get results.
“We couldn’t rely on the health system in Ireland and decided to move to Switzerland where it’s light years away, cost of living is actually the same, taxes are less and salaries are x4 Irish salaries in my industry. Accommodation is available here, expensive but it exists.”
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