Most young people believe better standard of living can be had abroad, survey shows

More than seven in 10 young people aged 18-24 are considering moving abroad because they think they would enjoy a better quality of life elsewhere, according to new research.

A survey carried out by Red C on behalf of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) found that eight in 10 were “fearful for the future” while one in two reported worse mental health in the context of the rising cost of living.

More than four in 10 responded that they are not as happy as they were six months ago; almost one in two said they are struggling to make ends meet; and more than one in four said their experience with housing in the past six months is worse.

NYCI, the representative body for voluntary youth organisations in Ireland, expressed concern at the findings of the survey and is calling for action from the Government to prevent young people from moving abroad.

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Paul Gordon, director of policy and advocacy at NYCI, said there was a “real fear from young people about what the future holds for them.”

“Many say they’re struggling to make ends meet and quality-of-life considerations are driving them to consider a future outside of Ireland. Government must act to ensure young people aren’t overlooked in this crisis.”

Mental health

“The cost of living is affecting all of society, but it is impacting young people in a different way. They are more likely to report mental health difficulties and challenges with accommodation, and to spend a greater portion of their income on education and public transport expenses,” Mr Gordon said.

One of the respondents, Clara Jane Hickey (21), from Waterford, recently moved from Ireland to the Netherlands to study at the University of Groningen.

Ms Hickey told NYCI that she left Ireland in August due to the cost of living.

“In the Netherlands, I pay lower third-level tuition fees per year compared with Ireland. Finding accommodation has been so much more realistic for me in the Netherlands. I also find the public transport system much better than in Ireland,” she said.

Aisling Maloney (19), from Roscrea, Co Tipperary, is returning to college at UCD this autumn and said she was “worried about the cost of food, textbooks and also about missing out on life opportunities that other young people have and might take for granted”.

NYCI is calling on the Government to reduce registration fees for those in college, higher education or on apprenticeships, raise the national minimum wage for under-20s to the same level as over-20s and bring the rate of jobseekers’ allowance for under-25s in line with that of those over 25.

The Young Adult travel card should be extended to more young people and government investment in youth work services in local communities should be increased, the NYCI said.

“Our leaders need to show young people in Ireland that they are a valued part of society, and that they are not left out of the conversation on the cost of living,” Mr Gordon added.