Half of emigrants were employed when they left Ireland

Almost half of emigrants who left Ireland during the crash were in full-time employment when they decided to move abroad, a study has found.

The report, Supporting the Next Generation of the Irish Diaspora, also warns a lack of contact between different generations of Irish emigrants abroad is a cause for concern.

The report, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and carried out by the UCD Clinton Institute, looked at Irish communities across the globe.

It found 47% of emigrants between 2008-2013 were in work when they left.

The study highlights the needs of vulnerable groups abroad such as the elderly and travellers in Britain, undocumented immigrants in the US, and young families in Australia.

The report said the Emigrant Support Programme (ESP), which was set-up in 2004 to support vulnerable Irish migrants and diaspora communities abroad, should focus more of its attention on bridging the age gap.

“The research team encountered repeated concerns in multiple regions of the Irish settlement about inter-generational gaps at community and leadership levels.

“The lack of intergenerational stake-holding within the diasporic communities can be deemed as a fresh opportunity for the ESP to provide targeted support for activities and programmes that bridge generations,” the study states.

Jimmy Deenihan, who took up the newly created role as minister for the diaspora after he was demoted from the Cabinet, said the report needed to be acted upon.

“The report points to challenges for the years ahead, and the need for the programme to evolve to meet these challenges.

“It highlights inter-generational gaps between groups of emigrants, the rise of new destinations for emigrants and the important role of culture in maintaining links with Ireland. It also highlights the remarkable role the GAA overseas plays.”

UCD professor Liam Kennedy said: “This report underlines the importance of a programme supporting vulnerable sectors of the diaspora as an important element of Ireland’s emerging diaspora policy, and argues that the balance between support for the vulnerable and engagement with the successful will define the character of Ireland’s diaspora engagement into the future.”

The report found that 26.6% of those emigrating from Ireland in 2009 — 19,000 people — were Irish nationals, but this rose to 57% of the total, or 51,000, by 2013.

Of the 150,000 Irish nationals the CSO estimates left the country since 2008, 58% were men, and 42% women.