Youth leaving in their thousands

It doesn’t seem that long ago when we in Ireland were known as “The Young Europeans”.

That was because we had the youngest average population in the EU. This was a decade or more before the height of the Celtic Tiger and it was a proud boast. It gave us hope as a people, lifted the spirit of the nation and heralded a bright future for us all.

Soon we could become “The Old Europeans”, primarily because our young people are not hanging around for the Government’s promise that austerity today will bring jobs tomorrow. They are leaving in their thousands a country that has neglected them and, many feel, rejected them.