As three in five under-25s consider leaving the country, we must act to help young people
Three in five under 25s are considering emigrating due to the housing crisis and high cost of living.
Next week the Dáil and Seanad return after the summer recess. Less than three weeks after that the minister for finance will stand up and deliver Budget 2026. In the usual pre-budget furore, ministers and backbenchers will begin to fly kites and we will start to see some shape on what will be announced. Against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis, much will be made of easing the burden on hard-pressed families and businesses. We have seen it already from the party think-ins. But one group continually neglected is young people.
Young people in Ireland today face a complex web of challenges, from housing insecurity and income inequality to mental health struggles and barriers to education and mobility. However, political discourse often oversimplifies youth issues, focusing purely on youth emigration and references to insurmountable challenges buying houses. Both these issues are real and pressing.
