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Michael Noonan slammed after branding emigration a lifestyle choice

Calls for Minister to apologize immediately to families

By
PATRICK COUNIHAN,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Friday, January 20, 2012, 7:32 AM
Updated Friday, January 20, 2012, 11:34 AM

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Minister for Finance Michael Noonan
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan
Photo by Google Images


Ireland’s Minister for Finance has sparked outrage after he branded emigration a lifestyle choice.

Michael Noonan has denied that the daily exodus of hundreds of Irish men and women is down to the country’s economic crisis.

The Limerick deputy went so far as to claim that young people were quitting their families and homes for ‘lifestyle reasons’.

The Fine Gael Minister also claimed that some emigrants just ‘wanted to see another part of the world’.

He also suggested the Government should improve the education system – so that young people can get ‘a good job’ when they emigrate.

Minister Noonan said: “That’s life in modern Ireland and they have to do their best. I hope they are successful abroad.

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“There are always young people coming and going from Ireland and some of them are emigrants in the traditional sense. Others simply want to get off the island for a while. You know, a lot of the people who go to Australia... it’s not being driven by unemployment at home, it’s driven by a desire to see another part of the world and live there.

“It’s not about putting on the green jersey or taking off the green jersey, it’s just that’s life in modern Ireland, and they have to do their best.

“I hope they are successful abroad. What we have to make sure is our young people have the best possible education, so that when they go, they are employed as young professionals in their country of destination.”

Three of Noonan’s own children live abroad but the Minister suggested that that was a matter of choice.

He added: “I don’t think any of the three can be described as an emigrant. It was a free choice of lifestyle and what they wanted to do with their lives. And there are a lot of families like that.”

The Minister has since claimed that he was ‘being quoted out of context’.

Fianna Fail jobs spokesman, Willie O’Dea, has called on Minister Noonan to ‘apologise immediately’ for his remarks.

O’Dea said: “Of course there are many young people who, after college, travel abroad. But there is an undeniable link between the high rate of unemployment and the number of people seeking work abroad.”

​
See more: Michael Noonan , News from Ireland , Irish politics , Irish Immigration
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28 Comments

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GeorgeDillon | Jan 23, 2012, 07:23 PM EST
The Irish should try emigrating to Pakistan or Bangla Desh. They're not welcome in the USA unless they bring extraordinary skills with them. And that's unlikely.

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dipsydolly | Jan 23, 2012, 06:03 PM EST
ha ha who wouldnt emigrate from limerick, anyway europe is our oyster now plenty of places to live work and play, america is no longer the land of the free spirit, its just another place on the map.

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joycean | Jan 23, 2012, 10:21 AM EST
The Irish are going to have to find new places to emigrate. The Us has recently passed a bill which favors Mexican and Asian immigrants. Australia is also tightening requirements.

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IrelandNorth | Jan 23, 2012, 09:02 AM EST
Recently universally imposed Household Service Charge of E100 p/a is 1% for someone on E10,000 p/a (social welfare/low income). It's 0.05% for someone on E200,000 p/a like the Taoiseach and Ministers. The view expressed by the Brussels' man in Ireland is a linguistic equivalent of this disparity 0 i.e. removed from reality.

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GeorgeDillon | Jan 22, 2012, 08:20 PM EST
Druidman: You're a fool. I suspect you don't know the meaning of the acronym WASP. I can tell you that two of its three elements do not apply in my case. Don't be such a clown.

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Druidman | Jan 22, 2012, 07:41 PM EST
GEORGE DILLON, GET A LIFE MAN! Clearly you have no idea of what you are talking about. Siobhan does! I think George Dillon is just a troll here with nothing better to do but scream about whatever WASP idea's he has.

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Druidman | Jan 22, 2012, 07:26 PM EST
APOLOGIES FOR SPELLING ERRORS, JUST SO ANGRY AT THE STUPIDITY OF SOME COMMENTS HERE

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Druidman | Jan 22, 2012, 07:25 PM EST
George Dillon. Thank you for such an excellent display of complete ignorance! If you think I left Ireland lightly, I would love to explain the resons to you at close quarters i.e EYEBALL TO EYEBALL, GOT THAT MATE?

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Druidman | Jan 22, 2012, 07:21 PM EST
Shuvonn, Good girl. You have it so right.

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gobdawpaddy | Jan 22, 2012, 07:40 AM EST
Bit rich for Willie O'Dea to be annoyed. His cowboy mob are the root cause of emigration from Ireland. Have great time for Michael Noonan but this was not his brightest observation.

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upsceach | Jan 22, 2012, 03:16 AM EST
Well said, It kills parents to see there children leave. They know full well, it's rarely all that come home. Fear bocht.

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stuckhere | Jan 21, 2012, 05:33 PM EST
He should say sorry to the family,s who,s child has died while working away!our son,s lost a good friend last September while on his way home from Aussie! there should be an statue in Dublin airport to all who died while working away R.I.P. DYLAN xxxx

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upsceach | Jan 20, 2012, 09:53 PM EST
The same donkeys running the country in the late 80's and early 90's came out with the same nonsence. if most of the young leave there sure to keep control of the country. Neither party have a clue but always blame others.

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joycean | Jan 20, 2012, 04:18 PM EST
For comparison, of American students who graduated from universities between 2006 and 2010, only 1/2 have found full-time jobs. In 2011, an additional 1.5 million students graduated from university.

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sirpeter | Jan 20, 2012, 04:15 PM EST
Georgie Boy.Ah!! Come on now Georgina Dillion.Shuvonn has along way to go before she will knock you off the top spot as the stupidest poster on this site.I have to defend Shuvonn here.She didn't say jobs like restaurant and bar work, retail were beneath her.She said highly educated people want jobs that would suit them better and feel they deserve better pay for their years of collage education.Georgina you would have to be a bit of a thicko not to understand that point.

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