"or would you rather see no such thing and massive youth unemployment as currently enjoyed in Ireland"
The long term and massive youth unemployment in Ireland has been alleviated to a great degree from Ireland's membership of Europe and the fact (sad that it is is) that young people are able to move freely about the world to get jobs.
Not an ideal solution by any means, but infinitely preferable to the situation that has existed throughout my entire life in Britain - stay at home unemployed.
Ireland did extremely well out of membership of Europe until the bankers sent the economy crashing into the sea in flames - what went wrong here is everything that has always been wrong with Britain - corrupt and incompetent politicians an increasingly predatory economic system and a society generated by greed and acquisition as a yardstick for success.
"nobody forced people to live beyond their means - that is down to the stupidity of individuals"
So - it is stupid for a family, under pressure from banks insisting that money grows on trees, to borrow to say, move out of a sink estate, or add an extra room to their home to accommodate an addition to the family or to seek a better standard of education for their children, but it's good politics to allow those banks to pressurise such people to the point that it destroyed their lives and lost them their homes - destroying the economy - let's blame the stupid borrowers or the immigrants for trusting the professionals.
Working people borrowed, not to buy second homes, or have longer holidays or bigger cars - they borrowed to improve their lot slightly as workers - to lift themselves out of the mire to provide themselves with a little more security of existence - no homes in the sun or offshore accounts or tax havens - just a better life.
Too much to ask for in today's Brave New World.
BRITAIN'S FILTHY RICH WORKERS
RUBBING OUR NOSES IN IT