'I can't stay here': Dublin councillor steps down to move to Australia over cost of living
Eva Osborne
A South Dublin County councillor has stepped down from the local authority to move to Australia.
Councillor Niamh Fennell announced the news on social media, saying she, like many young people, is being priced out of Ireland and will be starting the life she "deserves" elsewhere.
The Sinn Féin councillor was first elected in the Dublin Mid-West area in 2024.
Despite working two jobs, Fennell said she just cannot afford to stay any longer.
Speaking to Newstalk, she said: "I do feel like I have a lot more to achieve, but unfortunately just the climate we're in in Dublin and as young people is not allowing me to stay here.
"I still live at home with my grandparents with no future of really kind of being able to move outside of the home to rent or to buy a house.
"The cost of living is just on the rise. As well as me working in the council house, I have another job in the city centre."
