That's very interesting about the minimum wage there being lower than elsewhere in the EU. I read there was some kind of plan by the Irish government to bring in laborers from depressed parts of the world - like Africa and the Middle East - to serve as a pool of cheap labor to expand Ireland's economy. But I wonder where these people would live, given how expensive housing is there.

It's very sad that where you were born doesn't offer you more opportunity. Emigration removes people from their family support systems, which has consequences to their mental health. It seems you are choosing between hard options.