Young people wanting to leave the country because they feel there is so disillusioned about life in Ireland is “on our generation”, Jonathan Healy has argued.
According to new research published by the National Youth Council of Ireland, 84% of people under the age of 25 agree that the housing crisis disproportionately impacts young people.
While three in five said they are considering emigration.
On Newstalk Breakfast, presenter Jonathan Healy said he was not surprised by the figures.
“We suffered massively in 2007, 2008, when there was a collapse in the economy and the property sector,” he said.
“We lost a decade, failure to address that as a State has resulted in young people feeling completely disconnected.
“It does all come back to housing; it’s not about them all wanting to set up in a three bed semi D and live life happily ever after.
“It’s about being able to afford rent.”
Irish people on Bondi Beach. Picture by: Richard Milnes/Alamy Live News. Jonathan continued that it is simply “abnormal” that so many people are still living with their parents well into their 30s.
“It’s not healthy,” he said.
“And you can understand why these young people are disillusioned because they’re talking to themselves.
“They are hearing and seeing things about this country that makes them feel like they are left behind.
“It is incredibly disheartening and, I have to say, our generation - much as we gave out about what happened in ‘07, ‘08 - we’re as culpable as the generation before us that led to that crisis.”
A man walking past 'For Sale' signs in Dublin. Picture by: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie. Fellow presenter Shane Coleman countered that while solving the housing crisis has proven “difficult”, catastrophising the situation will not help matters.
“We’re not unique in this country and there’s an irony about people talking of emigrating to Australia - they have a very similar problem in terms of housing,” he said.
“But look, we do need to attempt to solve those issues and we need to do a lot better.
“I sometimes worry there’s a narrative out there that you cannot buy a house and I don’t think that is actually the case.
“I’m not in any way lessening the issues, I think it is really difficult to buy a house but I do not think it’s impossible.
“We as a media need to be careful about that narrative.”
Houses for sale. Picture by: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ieShane added that many young people want to move abroad and plan on soon returning home.
“I don’t overly stress about young people saying that they’re considering emigrating,” he said.
“Because I wonder how much of it is going to Australia for a few years; I don’t really regard that as emigrating.”
Main image: Jonathan Healy in the Newstalk studio. Picture by: Newstalk
