The Tánaiste has faced criticism in the Dáil over remarks he made on emigration.

Leo Varadkar faced backlash over comments made on emigration.

Over the weekend Leo Varadkar said that young people thinking of emigrating ‘ are not going to find rents are lower in New York’.

He said sometimes the ‘grass looks greener’.

In the Dáil the Social Democrats Co-Leader Catherine Murphy said the comments had provoked anger among those who left the country due to high costs and high rents.

Social Democrats Co-Leader Catherine Murphy strongly criticised the Tánaiste over the remarks:

“We have the highest housing cost in the entire EU.”

“Infact housing cots here are an astonishing 88.5% higher than the EU average.”

“You really don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says that wasn’t the intention of his remarks and defended the comments he made on emigration:

“I see a country that has thousands of people coming here every year from England and Europe to live.”

“People who are European citizens who have 27 countries to choose from and tens of thousands come here.”

“Even if you narrow it down to Irish citizens, more Irish citizens return home every year than leave.”