Educated Irish leaving for new life abroad

By Ciara Kenny. UCC survey shows 62 per cent of emigrants aged 25 to 34 have a third-level qualification. Ireland is experiencing a “brain drain”, as the people currently leaving Ireland for a new life abroad are much more likely to have a higher level of education than the general population, a major survey on emigration has found.
The research, which will be published today at an international conference on “austerity emigration” in University College Cork, reveals that 62 per cent of emigrants aged 25 to 34 have a third-level qualification, compared to 47 per cent of Irish people in that age group overall. More...