The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
What about our diaspora?
Originally from Beaufort, MOVING2IRELAND founder Ruarí Spillane says he’s disappointed but not surprised that the election campaign has had no reference to our diaspora
WEEK one of Ireland’s general election campaign is in the books and it is clear that the housing and hospital crises are going to be used to hammer Fine Gael, while Leo Varadkar and his government will point to the strength of the economy as a reason for re-election. There is also a clear disparity in voting intentions between environmentally conscious millennials – including first-time voters – and their more traditional parents. However, for me, one of the biggest takeaways so far has been the complete lack of attention given to Irish emigrants from either of the two main candidates vying to be Taoiseach.
I fully understand that issues such as the housing, hospital and direct provision crises will always take precedence in a general election. But the fact that next to nothing has been said about the thousands of Irish citizens living abroad is disappointing to say the least, especially as many are considering moving home in 2020.
The silence has been truly deafening. As Ireland’s economy inches closer to full employment, there are many opportunities for those Irish citizens who left during the 2009 economic crash to return home and contribute positively. However, it isn’t an easy decision and the challenges that returning emigrants face with simple tasks like obtaining a mortgage or accessing a fair quote for car insurance can act as real red flags. It should also be noted that following a net positive year in 2018, net migration to Ireland among Irish citizens returned to negative figures in 2019 with 2,100 more Irish people leaving than returning.
Ireland was supposed to hold a referendum in 2019 to decide whether or not it would extend voting rights for presidential elections to citizens living abroad. It was initially scheduled for the spring, then pushed to October and finally shelved indefinitely due to Brexit. This general election has reduced the likelihood of the referendum being called in 2020, if at all. Just to be clear, the most recent research indicates that 36 European countries allow non-resident citizens the opportunity to vote in national and presidential elections.
Successive Irish governments are quick to speak glowingly about our country’s global footprint and the vital role played by the diaspora.
However, when it comes to extending voting rights, recognising prior PRSI contributions for maternity benefit entitlements, or smoothing the eligibility process for those looking to upskill upon return, Irish emigrants appear to be little more than an inconvenience. It often appears that the diaspora is leveraged to help Ireland grow trade relationships, but when it comes to removing some of the needless obstacles involved in returning home, we receive little in return.
One point that is often lost in the debate about how much of a say Irish emigrants should have in the country’s future is the real impact that migration can have on families and communities. For every Irish person living in Sydney or Toronto, there is often a family, GAA club or community back in Ireland affected by their decision to leave, and with so many recent departees having little choice but to go, it surprises me how little political capital the so-called generation emigration appear to have.
Over 400,000 Irish emigrants left Ireland in the last decade, and the majority have stayed away. Our diaspora appears to be little more than collateral damage from the Celtic Tiger collapse, and their voice has been muted in this campaign so far.
The sad reality is that for many Irish emigrants planning on returning home in 2020 or beyond, it may be their second time doing so. A significant number of Irish emigrants returned in the first decade of this century, during the height of the boom, but were forced to leave again in 2010 or 2011 as their job prospects had all but evaporated. The fact that many emigrants are eager to return to Ireland a second time shows how special home is. However, the extortionate cost of living in Dublin and severe lack of housing in other parts of the country is something that this government, and previous ones, should be held accountable for.
The positive impact returning emigrants can play in Ireland extends far beyond the economic sphere, though. Ireland, especially its rural parts, lost so much during the last 10 years. Ireland owes these emigrants and their families the chance to make a real life for themselves should they wish to return. Doing so could add energy and vitality to areas of the country badly in need of a boost, but it won’t happen without a proper plan in place.
Recent opinion poll data indicates that Fine Gael’s nine years at the helm of Irish politics may be coming to an end, but do Fianna Fáil offer any real alternatives that will assist returning emigrants? And what about the thousands of Irish citizens who continue to live abroad? Will we have the opportunity to play a more active role in the future of the country that we have contributed to under a Micheál Martin-led government? I don’t know the answer, but we shouldn’t forget that it was his party that was at the wheel when the economy crashed in 2009 and contributed to 10 years of mass emigration.
The answers to these questions may not be uncovered during this election, but I hope that they are, at the very least, part of the conversation.
Ruairi Spillane (35), from Beaufort, emigrated to Canada in 2008. He set up Moving2Canada as a free information resource in March 2011. Moving2Ireland.com was his next initiative, having launched in August, 2018. Check out www.moving2ireland.com.