Politicians must choose words carefully on emigration issue

The comments by Finance Minister Michael Noonan last week where he described emigration as a 'lifestyle choice' for many has set off a firestorm of criticism, particularly among the thousands of Irish families who have had to endure the pain and sorrow of waving goodbye to a loved one. The clear majority of the tens of thousands who will emigrate from this country this year will do so because they are being forced to go, certainly not out of some lifestyle choice. It is true to say that some people, particularly in the boom years, did make the choice to go abroad - about 13,000 annually - but most people now have no option but to try and seek work opportunities in countries such as Australia and Canada. Today, it is a lifestyle choice which is being forced upon them. Mr Noonan and some of his government colleagues have said that his words have been taken out of context, and that may well be the case, but it does demonstrate how measured and careful in their use of language politicians need to be when speaking on this subject. The sensitivities felt by families being broken up to live on opposite sides of the world because of austerity programmes being forced on the country and the repayment of bank bondholders are all too raw and will be for some time to come. Nonetheless, the debate has brought into focus this painful issue for Irish people once again and shone a light on the despair that lies behind many of the decisions made by people to up roots and move to another country to try and start again. This latest wave of emigrants are being forced to leave behind family and loved ones because of circumstances outside of their control, and many must now take on the challenge of building a new life for themselves abroad. As Bishop John Kirby of Clonfert remarked this week, on a human level, this is very difficult as they cope with loneliness and isolation. Roughly 6,000 people are leaving Ireland every month, the overwhelming majority seeking opportunities in Australia, the US and Canada. Most are going because of the lack of employment and the belief that they have no future in Ireland, with years of austerity yet to come. In the great majority of cases, it's forced emigration and a major social tragedy as we witness a new generation following the paths of their countrymen and women fleeing to other, more prosperous parts of the globe where they can be offered a better standard of living. Better job opportunities abroad are the main reason why up to two-thirds of college students plan to emigrate after completing their education in Ireland, according to survey figures released towards the end of last year. The online questionnaire, taken by more than 1,200 students nationwide, found that 91 per cent were worried about their future in Ireland, with the vast majority seeing emigration as their most likely career path. While 37 per cent of those who intend to emigrate said they would do so directly after finishing their degree, 39 per cent said they would not leave until they had exhausted the possibility of finding a job in Ireland first. The remaining 24 per cent plan to emigrate in the "next few years". The government came in for criticism in the survey of students, with over 90 per cent of respondents saying it was not doing enough to prevent young people from emigrating. Many felt the government should increase the number of graduate and internship schemes on offer to college graduates as well as offering incentives to companies which provide graduate schemes. As thousands of our best students make their plans to leave Ireland's shores, many are asking how we are supposed to build an economic recovery without talented graduates? Ireland can ill afford its brightest and best once again looking across the seas to seek their fortune. If the economy remains on its knees for a prolonged period of time, then the longer people are away, the greater the likelihood that they will stay away, much like what happened in the 1950s, when those who left Ireland made a permanent new life for themselves elsewhere. The lack of choice in Ireland is now going to benefit other countries, as the knowledge, skills and education built up and carefully nurtured over the years of study is lost. The Ireland of the future is predicated on the smart economy being the bedrock of economic recovery, but if the brain drain continues unchecked, there may not be enough truly bright people left to lead this smart economy.