Fine Gael plan to bring 70,000 emigrants home in doubt

Fine Gael’s plans to bring home 70,000 emigrants have already backfired after the Tánaiste revealed that people returning from abroad are driving up the social welfare budget.

Joan Burton claimed returning emigrants are unable to find work, which means there are now thousands more than expected claiming benefits — and her department needs additional funding.

There are almost 7,000 more people claiming jobseeker’s allowance than the Department of Social Protection expected this year, which Ms Burton suggested was due to construction workers coming back from Australia and other countries who have found it hard to secure a job.