Independent TD Mattie McGrath has said that the country is “grinding to a halt” due to pressures on resources attributable to unprecedented rates of immigration, particularly through the asylum system.
Reacting to recent CSO figures which revealed that more Irish people are leaving the country than are returning home, McGrath said that the influx of nearly 150,000 in the twelve months to April 2024, was a result of “the government’s “abject failure to plan”.
McGrath said that in respect of the large influx of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, the government had failed to “set capacity limits, consult local communities, and build accommodation before opening the door to anyone seeking asylum from any corner of the globe.”
Calling this a “recipe for disaster”, Deputy McGrath said the situation was also “deeply unfair” to “taxpayers, the young people of Ireland, and those who genuinely require asylum here.”
He pointed to the figures saying, “The latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for the year ending in April 2024 shows the following: Immigration: 149,200 people immigrated to Ireland, marking the highest number in 17 years. Emigration: 69,900 people left Ireland, the highest figure since 2015. Many of these are young people, with a sharp rise in the number moving to Australia. An estimated 10,600 people moved there, up 4,700 from the previous year, representing a 126% increase.”
Deputy McGrath acknowledged long standing trends of young people emigrating “for a period in search of new adventures and opportunities” but said that the “alarming” fact of the current situation is that “the numbers have jumped so high and many of these young people are choosing not to return home”.
He said this was “a direct result of systemic government failures to provide affordable housing.”
McGrath continued that it was “ indisputable” that many young people “are being forced to leave Ireland due to the high cost of living and the ongoing housing crisis.”
He pointed to “exorbitant” rental prices in Dublin which he said are making it “nearly impossible for young professionals to afford independent living.”
Speaking to the Irish Times last week, Taoiseach Simon Harris said there was “no doubt” the governments needed to do more to absorb population growth.
Harris said the government, “will now need to do a better job in terms of forward planning, preparing for population growth, wondering what that means for public services, what that means for investment, what that means for staffing levels,”.
The Taoiseach added that, “Inward migration is a good thing. We should be very clear about that. What Ireland needs to do is make sure it has the systems in place to properly process people, to provide people who are coming seeking international protection with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ more quickly.”
McGrath said “government failure” had made countries like Australia more “attractive” and that these are “often a last resort for young Irish people, offering perceived better living conditions and job opportunities.”
He said that in spite of the high cost of living Down Under, many Irish people were still opting for a life in Australia as they found it “more affordable and sustainable than Ireland.”
Deputy McGrath said that the government’s “open-door asylum policy” has led to “a significant increase” in the number of asylum seekers coming to Ireland and that this “has exacerbated the housing crisis and strained public services.”
Pointing to the rising cost to the state of accommodating unprecedented numbers of those claiming international protection, he said projections were reaching over €1 billion for 2024.
“This influx has put immense pressure on an already overstretched housing market, making it even more challenging for our young people to find suitable accommodation.” he said.
McGrath said that “increased demand for public services, including healthcare and education” as a result of the large numbers of IP applicants now in Ireland “has further stretched resources, impacting the quality and availability of these services for everyone.”
McGrath said that the government’s efforts to provide housing and support for asylum seekers “would be commendable if managed properly” but have instead “highlighted grave unfairness within our system” which he said “underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to address Ireland’s broader housing and public service crises.”
Deputy Mc Grath concluded by saying that, “Many young people in Ireland feel abandoned by the government, struggling with exorbitant rents and an unattainable housing market. The high cost of living and lack of affordable housing options drive a generation to seek better opportunities abroad. It’s a stark reality that the current policies are failing to provide the support and solutions needed for young people to build a stable future in their own country,”