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Thursday, August 21st, 2008The CSO has said that it is hoping to include the nationality of those emigrating to its annual population reports. Currently, incoming migration figures show nationality, but outflow figures do not.
The news of the change is included in an Irish Independent report on yesterday’s release of population figures, which showed increasing emigration and an decrease in incoming migrants. The report also noted that experts expect emigration in continue to increase due to the economic slowdown.
The inclusion of nationality in emigration statistics is a positive development because currently it is impossible to track emigration patterns accurately: we don’t know how much of the outward flow of migrants are immigrants returning to their home countries, or to a third country, and how many are Irish-born people migrating abroad.
Ean and the Crosscare Migrant Project had both written to the CSO to ask for nationality statistics to be added to the migration outflow figures.
Read the report in the Irish Independent.
Job opening: Manager, Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas (London)
Thursday, August 21st, 2008The Irish Chaplaincy in Britain is seeking a manager for the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas in London.
Manager – Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas
Acting under the auspices of the Irish Bishops Conference, the small but established faith based charity, The Irish Chaplaincy in Britain (ICB), works to care for Irish emigrants in the UK. An exciting opportunity is now available for a manager to take on the demanding post of leading and building our renowned national prison visiting and advocacy project for Irish prisoners (Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas).
Both self-motivated and keen to take on significant responsibility, you’ll be well equipped to lead the project forward. With strong management skills you will play a significant part in ensuring the effective delivery of the service to Irish prisoners and their families across the UK. 60% of the post will involve you in direct pastoral outreach, 30% in project/staff management and 10% exercising senior management responsibility within the ICB. Based in London NW1, the post will involve some travel throughout the UK. More than anything, all your work is motivated by your commitment to social justice.
Application packs are available from the Irish Chaplaincy in Britain, 50-52 Camden Square, London NW1 9XB. Email: steph.dardis@irishchaplaincy.org.uk, or call Philomena Cullen for an informal chat about the post: Tel 0207.482.5528
- Salary: 30-32k
- Hours: Fulltime – 35 hours per week.
- Closing Date: 29th September 2008
- Interviews: 9th October 2008.
Registered Charity No. 280742
Obama the focus of Irish attention
Thursday, August 21st, 2008The US presidential campaign remains a focus of intense scrutiny in Ireland, and there have been several newsy bits worth noting lately.
First is the news that a Fine Gael delegation will attend the Democratic Party Convention in Denver, Colorado next week. While there, they will raise the issue of the undocumented, says Donegal TD Joe McHugh, who says he is hoping to speak with Senator Obama and his Irish Liaison Officer, Carol Wheeler, who was appointed last month.
“I greatly look forward to the opportunity to raise the vital issue of the Undocumented with the front-running team for the Oval Office.
“Undocumented Irish people in America are in constant fear that they are going to be imprisoned. These people are not criminals; they are hard working people who pay their taxes, many with their own businesses, who just want to live a normal life.
“False hopes have been plentiful for the undocumented in recent years and there is a vital need to keep dialogue open with the Americans. It is unfair to raise expectations for the sake of political gain. Recent visits from Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen offered hope to the Irish immigrants but little in the way of progress.
“Brian Cowen went to the US in recent months, promising to work on behalf of the undocumented Irish in America. I would like to know what follow up has been made by the Taoiseach. Undocumented Irish are becoming more and more disheartened as more and more false dawns pass by.
“We need an agreement and it must be bi-lateral. We need to work with the Americans, but we need political leadership from everyone on this island, North and South. This convention gives me a major opportunity to champion the cause of the Irish in America and I intend to make the most of this opportunity.”
Second, there have been two interesting analyses of Obama and the Irish Vote. The first was by activist Tom Hayden, writing in the Huffington Post earlier this month. He says that Obama is in danger of losing the Irish-American vote.
The second was an analysis by Irish Voice publisher and Hillary Clinton supporter Niall O’Dowd on Obama and the Irish-American vote, published in the Irish Times this week.
See the articles:
- Huffington Post: O’Bama and Irish-America
- Irish Times – Is the anointed one about to blow his chance to make history?
Commentator says GAA stats show rise in emigration
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008David McWilliams uses an intriguing index to attempt to chart emigration statistics: the number of international GAA club transfers as compared to domestic transfers. He says that for the last few years, the number of club transfers mostly reflected young players moving around the country; this month, however, there has been a huge increase in the numbers moving to clubs in London and New York.
The article is fascinating as he discusses the way demographic changes are reflected by the GAA.
But the analysis is flawed: he needs to compare transfers in the summer months, as it’s an annual tradition for players to go abroad to play for the summer.
The montly stats are available in Excel files under “club transfers” at http://www.gaa.ie/page/archives.html. I just checked July 07 and July 02 and it looked like well over three-quarters of the transfers were international for both of those months. A comparison of January and July stats just doesn’t put the situation in its proper context.
Read the article on David McWilliams’ website.
Emigration increasing, says CSO
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008Emigration increased slightly in the year ending April 2008, with 45,300 people leaving Ireland.
The figure is the highest since 1990, when 56,300 people left the country, but there are a couple of factors making a difference between then and now.
First, it is likely that there are number of immigrants who had been temporarily in the country who are now returning home or moving on to a third country. The CSO statistics do not reveal nationality of those leaving, but 9,000 are moving on to the accession countries of the EU, while 7,400 are moving on to other parts of continental Europe.
Second, immigration continues to outpace emigration, as it has been doing consistently since 1996. There were 83,300 people who came into Ireland last year; while this is a four-year low and a fairly dramatic decrease from the 109,500 who came in the year ending April 2007, net migration is still significantly inward.
The figure for net migration now stands at 38.5 – although this is nearly half its peak of 71,800 in 2006, it’s still a far cry from the situation twenty years ago. 1988 was one of the peak years for emigration – at that time, net migration stood at -41.9.
The trends, however, are toward increasing emigration and decreasing immigration. The figures also date to April, and as such wouldn’t show any acceleration in emigration that may or may not have occurred this summer.
Where are the outward migrants going?
- 7,000 went to the UK, down from 10,100 in the year ending 2007.
- 7,400 went to the pre-accession countries of continental Europe, up from 3,200 the year before.
- 9,000 went to the 12 countries of the EU accession states, up from 7,000 last year.
- 2,200 are reported to have gone to the US, down from 2,900.
- 19,800 went to the “Rest of the World”, with 11,300 of those going to Australia and Oceania.
The CSO also released statistics today showing that the unemployment rate has risen to 5.1%. There are now 115,000 people unemployed.
Benefits to New Zealand highlighted by company
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008The Sunday Tribune is carrying an article on the benefits of migration to New Zealand. Much of the recent media coverage of migration to Australia and New Zealand seems to be the result of a media campaign by MigrationAbroad.com, a for-profit organisation that handles visa applications to Australia and New Zealand. They are actively promoting such visas through monthly clinics.
The company is promoting New Zealand’s cheaper property, falling unemployment and cultural similarities with Ireland as reasons for a move.
Read the article: “A different opportunity down under”
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