Book Offer
This will close in 10 seconds
Figures obtained by Offaly Independent TD, Carol Nolan, show that one in three of long term unemployed persons are non-Irish nationals.
Of a total of 151,497 people who were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in the first quarter of 2026, 49,898 or 32.9% were of non-Irish nationality.
The largest proportion of these were from outside of the EU and the UK, which means that they came here either having been issued with work permits; as asylum seekers, or as the dependents of one of the former.
It ought also be taken into account that a sizeable number of persons born outside of the Irish state have been granted Irish citizenship so the proportion of non-Irish born long term unemployed is closer to 40% than one third.
Both figures are significantly higher than the % of people born outside the Irish state as recorded in the last Census in 2022 and in more recent population estimates.
| Nationality | Jobseekers Allowance | Jobseekers Benefit | |
| Irish Nationals | 101,619 | 23,644 | |
| UK | 4,857 | 889 | |
| EU14 excl Ireland (countries in the EU pre 2004 excluding UK & Ireland) | 2,689 | 584 | |
| EU15 to EU27 (accession countries joined post 2004) | 13,806 | 2,233 | |
| Other nationalities | 28,526 | 906 | |
| Total | 151,497 | 28,256 |
I have previously published figures on this and a comparison proves that the number of non Irish people who are unemployed is increasing both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the total figure.
In the second quarter of 2022 non Irish nationals accounted for 21.5% of those claiming either Jobseekers Allowance or the shorter term Jobseekers Benefit. That had increased to 23.8% in the second quarter of 2023 and to 29% in April 2025.
According to the latest figures given to Carol Nolan by Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, there are now 54,490 persons of other than Irish nationality in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance and Jobseekers Benefit.
That accounts for 30.3% of those claiming either of those unemployment related social welfare. Which means that the number of non-Irish nationals who are in receipt of both has more than doubled (111% increase) since 2022.
Those figures cast a rather different complexion on the relentless gaslighting which would have you believe that everyone who comes here is an unbridled boon to the economy and the well-being, financial and in every other way, of Irish society.
Responding to the statistics which she received from the Minister, Deputy Carol Nolan said:
“We are allowing a vast system of welfare dependency and immigration related welfare tourism to be created at a cost of hundreds of millions annually.
“At the same time we have the Minister for Public Expenditure at war with his Cabinet colleagues telling them to rein in spending including on education. This policy contradiction is an absolute scandal and represents a total failure of Government to address ballooning non-national welfare rates.”
This will close in 10 seconds