Sinn Féin’s Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Diaspora, Seán Crowe TD, has called on Minister of State John Perry to make an apology to the thousands of people who have been forced to emigrate to find work.

Crowe believes Minister of State Perry, who told the Dáil that “emigration was a matter of choice”, should hang his head in shame

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“According to the Central Statistics Office 1,600 people are emigrating from Ireland every single month. That is nine people leaving the country every single hour.

“The majority people emigrating are under 25 years of age and the majority are leaving in search of work. Emigration is not a lifestyle choice for young Irish people.

“They are leaving because this Government, and the Government before them, have failed to live up to their promises and invest in substantial job creation projects.

“For Minister of State John Perry to suggest that these people are actually choosing to leave is an insult to them and to their families. If emigration was a lifestyle choice surely the levels of emigration would be the same in 2013, as they were 10 years ago. That is clearly not the case.

“In my own area I know of scores of people who have had to take the boat or the plane abroad to look for work. For these people emigration was their only alternative- it was definitely not a choice.

“All the people I know, who were forced to emigrate in recent years, wanted to stay at home. They wanted to build a life and a future in Ireland. They wanted to contribute to the rebuilding of our economy and stay at home with their families and loved ones.

“They were denied that choice. They were denied by the economic crisis created by Fianna Fáil, and by Fine Gael and Labour’s refusal to invest money in job creation projects, money that is available in the National Pension Fund.

“Minister of State Perry should hang his head in shame, apologise to Irish emigrants and their families, not only for his insulting comments, but also for his Government’s failure to address the unemployment crisis.

“Later this month my colleague, Senator Kathryn Reilly, will bring forward a report to the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee, on the need for a Government funded youth jobs guarantee. This would give young people a real choice to remain in Ireland.

“If the Government is serious about giving people a choice to build a future in Ireland I hope they will enthusiastically take up the report’s recommendations.”

ENDS