Sharon Keogan spoke on 26 February 2025 about the impact of the housing crisis on young people and its role in an ongoing emigration problem. She argued the crisis is preventing young adults from forming relationships and urged the Minister for Justice and Housing to explain what will be done to tackle both housing and emigration.
Housing and young people's relationships
Many young people are living with their parents because of housing pressures, which the speaker said is sabotaging their ability to form romantic relationships. She cited a District Magazine article and an EU study that finds over 40% of working Irish people aged 25 to 34 are affected by this trend.
Early cohabitation driven by housing shortages
The speech highlighted that some couples feel forced to move in together far too early in their relationship simply to secure accommodation. That pressure, the speaker said, is a direct consequence of the lack of accessible housing for young adults.
Simultaneous immigration and emigration concerns
The speaker described what she called simultaneous immigration and emigration crises and criticised government mismanagement. She referenced a recent study indicating less than a fifth of tenants in the Dublin rental market are Irish and asked whether the Ministers acknowledge a connection between immigration patterns and emigration.
Questions for the Minister for Justice and Housing
She called on the Minister for Justice and Housing to set out what actions will be taken to resolve these twin issues - housing and emigration. She also posed specific proposals about graduate retention, asking whether the government will require a minimum period of service from state-trained graduates and whether it will consider capping recent graduates' sabbaticals.
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I would like to bring up the issue of housing and its impact on young people as well as our ongoing emigration crisis. Many people are already aware that the housing crisis is making life impossible for young Irish people, especially those just leaving college. Yet, as always, we need to be reminded of this issue. For example, a recent article in the District Magazine found that many young people are having their ability to form romantic relationships sabotaged by the crisis. Many can't progress or even begin relationships since they live with their parents. This is the case for over 40% of working Irish people between the ages of 25 and 34, according to an EU study. In other cases, many young couples are forced to move in together far too early in their relationship just so they can have somewhere to stay. Most nations across Europe and the Western world are currently facing immigration crisis. The Irish government seems to have outdone itself in terms of mismanagement, as well as we appear to be one of the only nations on earth facing simultaneous immigration and emigration crises. Since a recent study found strong indications that less than a fifth of the tenants in the Dublin market are Irish, I wish to call on the Minister for Justice and Housing to ask them what are they willing to do to solve these twin issues. Are the Ministers even willing to acknowledge that these two issues are connected in the first place? Finally, regarding the question of emigration, what is the government willing to do about the fact that many Irish people take their training and academic degrees from the state and leave? Does the government not intend to place some minimum timeframe and requirement on teaching graduates, for example, to give back to their country? At a bare minimum, will the government consider putting a maximum cap on the sabbaticals of recent graduates? Thank you.
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