All my friends are gone except 3! I’m in London and I feel the same I don’t want to go back, went home to visit ad no way am I panning to go back, nothing to go back to

@Alan Kenny

Good luck in London…but after 18 years living there the tinted glasses get a bit worn down

True Marc, but no point having a made up image of what home was like, no jobs, no money, debt, people better off on social welfare then working minimum wage jobs, those who do work taxed to hilt, the whole private vs public sectors wage issue the list goes on and on .. And a government that does nothing to address the issue

Just arrived in London a few weeks ago, love the city cant believe its just on our doorstep, most of my friends are gone to Australia or Canada with a small few making it to the US.

@Alan

Points taken….hope it goes as plan for you there…. great city…great opportunities too…bit of advice for London especially….better to pay more to livei in small place in good area than big place in bad area because believe me London s bad area s can be really dreadful in terms if gangs…anti social stuff etc….just from experience

@ Marc, ya figured that out I’ve a lot of friends here so I know the area etc, when get are rough they are rough lol

Thanks for the advice :)

@ Marc, ya figured that out I’ve a lot of friends here so I know the area etc, when get are rough they are rough lol

Thanks for the advice :)

Lived in London all my life, West is Best, and a bit of North.

Yeah..bring back your money and we’ll rip you off again.

What’s coming into the country Sean? Really, I need to know who am I with on my journey here.
I’m coming, some of my friends are coming, but I see nothing wrong with this group. I’ve read about Ireland’s history and culture, about geography and natural values and I love what I’ve come to know so far. I can’t wait to get there and work in a nice and warm environment with low corruption for a change.

I wouldn’t say you are a tourist, you are returning home to your family because of a bereavement.

I’ve had a few smart arse comments thrown my way from people at home about the fact that I moved to Britain. I try not to listen – I go where the work is and at the time, there wasn’t any at home. I was offered a job in Dublin yesterday but turned it down because it was a temporary contract with no guarantee of being made permanent. I would happily move to Dublin but I can’t take the risk of giving up a job I like, get good pay for and most importantly permanent employment in London. At least it might give someone at home a chance. I just don’t like having to feel like apologising for my decision to move away…

Who would you be apologising to? Why would you have to apologise? That’s a strange one.

Ann Marie – the smart arse comments u receive at home actually equate to begrudgery. Those making the comments would swap places with u in an instant. If I had the choice between a good job/lifestyle in London or returning to Dublin or Limerick, I know which I would choose and it wouldn’t be either of the latter cities.

Sometimes someone will make the smart comment about “getting away from Ireland when the going gets tough” and “where’s your loyalty to helping the country out” etc. Not a nice to hear things like that when you genuinely left Ireland to find work. My parents are quite happy to see myself and my sister abroad to fulfil our ambitions but I know deep down they’d prefer us at home. I only live in London so its not a massive trek anyway.

If they cannot offer you a job or pay your bills, with no jobs available in Ireland you are doing the right thing for your country. Ignore them they are jealous. Hope you are enjoying London.

@ Ann Marie, I’m in the same boat, green eyed monsters. They are stuck in Ireland with mortgage they can’t pay, house they can’t sell, job they can’t get and no light at the end of the tunnel. Dont apologize or feel guilty for making a life for ureself :)

Very true, a mere 30 quid compared to the 280 I was paying in Ireland. I almost died laughing when I got the invoice per post…

They couldn’t care less. They’re delighted as it keeps the welfare bill down. In fact I reckon that the Govt are hoping for even higher numbers. I know one family that only have 1 son in Ireland, three daughters and another son gone with grandkids in tow. Very sad.

It’s heartbreaking sometimes Eimear. And then to hear a minister say it is a lifestyle choice is just disgraceful.

The strange thing is that only now I see the impact on those left behind I realise what I’ve done to my own parents when I left the Netherlands to live in Ireland.

If someone could point me in the direction of the magic wand that the government could use to repair 15 years of damage by previous governments and poor choices by voters, I’ll gladly pass it on to them. It’s an awful statistic, with plenty of heart break behind it. Ireland is a lonelier place day by day. But it’s lazy analysis to blame it on a government that is in power for only 1 and a half years.

Donncha…check Iceland for government.

What we have are yes-men. They salute the Troika, not the tricolour. We got a change of flunkies, not a change of government.

So how long should they get Donnacha? Do you really think they’re going to surprise us all … anytime soon? This lot are not even trying.

100% correct my mistake was I returned to Ireland

I agree. I’m not 100% over the moon with where I am living now, no where is perfect I guess, but at least I’m not paying the bankers. I had a good job at home, as did my girlfriend, but we couldn’t put up with the moaning or giving our tax money to bail out the banks any longer.

I left for Poland just this month for teaching. Already I know it’s the best decision I ever made. I’m in a country with four seasons rather than one, that’s not in recession, has a public transport that suits the passengers rather than the staff and isn’t full of begrudgement and constant moaning. As well as that, my taxes will be used for MY benefit rather than bondholders.

With the start of the recession-induced baby boom beginning to enter the education system, this year was supposed to be one of the best to get a job. But of course, no. Let’s just have much bigger classes instead. I got replies to job applications for temporary positions saying that 360 people had applied. And then the government think we can climb back out of this mess with a sub-standard education system. I know they were handed an unprecedented mess, but they’re not looking much better than the previous shower at this stage.

You’d have to wonder how many of the immigrants are people coming back from Australia/Canada/U.S.?

Here are the PPS numbers issued by nationality from the start of the year until the end of August ; http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Topics/PPSN/Pages/ppsn_all_month12.aspx

Not an ideal indicator of the numbers coming in as somebody could arrive here, get a PPS number, then realise Ireland is not their cup of tea and leave but its best I can come up with.

Unfortunately the vast majority won’t believe the truth you speak until these bankers are walking them into a pit.
I think they have already won the fight for our minds. They control the media and so control our perception of reality.

That’s why it’s probably best to do what you can to get out.

Shit government!! That do ya

Shit pubs

Disagree with the high tax there, some would argue that our low tax rates contributed to the deficit crisis. We pay one of the lowest tax rates in the EU even with the tax hike. I live in Italy and the amount of tax they pay compared to their income is insane, not saying it’s right but we still don’t pay high tax in my opinion.

Niamh, you are correct, but in these other European countries the gross salaries are usually much higher so that the pretty much end up with the same net.

And let’s not forget that they actually see a return for their taxes (e.g. services), ours only serve to pay stupid bankers.

I agree with you there Karl, they do see a return in other forms such as healthcare here in Italy. However, the gross salary is lower.

Gross salary is lower in most European countries compared to Ireland

Well Mark, it is kind of like comparing apples and bananas to be honest. In my case, for a similar role I had in Ireland I am on a much higher gross salary, and net earn a little bit more, almost the same to be honest.

The fact that the general cost of living here is much cheaper than in Ireland makes it seem like I am on a lot more + my taxes and social contributions actually go towards things which I would have usually had to pay for seperately in Ireland (e.g. GP visits).

So, based on my experience, not only is the gross higher, but you actually get more bang for your buck based on roughly the same net.

May be different in other EU countries, so I probably shouldn’t have generalised. In my current situation however, it defintely applies.

Karl, I’m guessing you are not employed by the government? Different countries value different skillsets differently. Interestingly enough, the more progressive countries seem to pay more for people with actual skills.

Nope, private sector. Did my part-time masters in Ireland (paid for it myself!) and took it all as far as I could. I was literally not developing any more and was not been given a chance to grow financially or by skill set. Annual appraisal was usually “you were brilliant, but we won’t fund that training course and more money is of course out of the question – bla bla bla”. Yet the funny thing is that you still see those companies still being feckless with large sums of money. Penny wise, yet pound foolish!

Sorry, was sick and tired of that BS. As for staying in Ireland, it is fully up to the individual, it got to the stage where it was simply depressing me. Miss my family and friends to bits, but still feel that I have a better quality of live over here.

As for the question “why are the good ones leaving’ (no, I am not saying that I am necessarily one of those), I would say it is because they are ambitious and can’t get anywhere. The only people the Irish system is protecting at the moment is the wealthy, scamsters and politicians…

I noticed that but I didn’t want to say.

thats what I want to do…..get the hell outta dodge!

E.U. Citizenship or people coming back from oz or Canada who didn’t get sponsored.

The entire country has done enough! Bailed out the banks, kept civil servants wages and pensions up when we have no money, taken austerity over and over again, accepted a health and education system that gets worse yr on yr are u kidding me? What we can do for our country! Let it default

Hm, so staying in ireland and being on the dole because you can’t get a job would be serving your country??? I am off upskilling and when things settle down and get back to normal I will hopefully be able to return and contribute even better to the economy than I did before.

This country doesn’t care about its people. I wish people would stay and change it too, but when I see and hear the attitudes of the majority I wonder if it’s beyond hope. The peasant mentality of “I’m all right Jack” and “Devil take the hindmost” is still very apparent.

Karl, I wish you well. But how is the country going to magically recover without the skills and talents of our people? The tragedy of Ireland has always been that the wrong people leave, and the wrong people stay. The boom was an illusion, but for a few bright moments we had a glimpse of what things could be like.

The country looks after the wrong people – some people, get sickened, depressed and pissed off with this status quo and leave (I am one of them).

I am sick and tired of seeing greedy politicians and bankers taking people for a ride while they on the other hand are closing down hospitals and letting people die – it is simply barbaric.

I remember talking to people constantly about all the wrongs even went on a few marches etc. The biggest problem that Ireland has is that there is zero solidarity – each for their own. Real shame to be honest. Any time I brought stuff like that up I was being told that I was being too negative and to get over myself.

Then the Tiger crashed…

Oh I forgot, the Irish don’t like immigrants! :p

we’re a bit racist and won’t do jobs like work in a chipper or clean offices etc because we feel it’s beneath us so we let the foreigners do it… :-)

Why should somebody who spends 4 years in college studying for a degree or out completing an apprenticeship settle for working in a chipper or cleaning offices?

because there is no work in the profession they studied for maybe?

Michael, you are stereotyping immigrants as uneducated and suited to those jobs! Im sure that a lot of the immigrants come here with college degrees but are happy to work in chippers and as cleaners to survive and contribute! Do you ever get altitude sickness looking at people doing those jobs???

Michael, you are stereotyping immigrants as uneducated and suited to those jobs! Im sure that a lot of the immigrants come here with college degrees but are happy to work in chippers and as cleaners to survive and contribute! Do you ever get altitude sickness looking at people doing those jobs????

Dec, If the Irish aren’t here why should we care whether they like immigrants or not?

Why shouldn’t we like them? Any foreigner that I know works, pays tax and loves living here for the most part! For those ‘Over Educated’ Irish that want to leave to get a job in Australia/Canada/US or wherever to contribute to an economy that’s not their own because they are to proud to look at other, temporary options in Ireland I say piss off to wherever and don’t come back and I welcome any nationality to Ireland that are willing to work and contribute and enjoy living here in our Ireland!

Slight misunderstanding.

Damocles, we’ll like them from afar.

There are people (myself included) that are going to emigrate TO Ireland very soon. Young and determined people, very good professionals too. I really hope Irish aren’t racist as some of you state and it’s just a bad joke. Oh, and about the weather… after 5 years in a row with summer peaks of >45 deg. C (yes, shadow temperature) and rain just to fill up a champagne glass, and -28 deg. C in the winter, I’d definitely love the change.

Just after the ploughing I’d say.
Someone turn off the immersion!

Leave it running…the tax on my electric indicates its all that sustains the shreds of economic life-support.

Once they’ve finished the land clearance project and mechanised the plantation we can finish off the Donegal to Kerry 18 hole resort and live happily ever after on the industrialised hospitality and offshored tax-free rents.

Sure Eirbase 1 is a handy wee platform for yankee corporate laundering and servicing the resource-wars.

Happy Arthur’s Day.

At this rate it’d take about 50 years for the current native population to leave.

That’s far too long.

Ah but you forget assisted natural wastage a la health-service conversion to sickness industry privatisation.

And once we eradicate the idlers’ allowances for those too feckless to volunteer for internship(we were going to call it industrialised internment, but the spin department said that might be a no-no); intensify the foreclosures on no-compliant householders…why a little natural exposure to elemental competitiveness…they’ll be dropping like the surplus Palestinians on the gentrifying West Bank.

Possibly early next year if i can save enough. Thinking of Scotland and then college there the following year. But i will come back…

Don’t be knocking Knock…its our emergency exit.