Employment will be a key issue for the incoming Irish government, it has been claimed.

The subject will be the second most important area, behind the economy, for Fine Gael, xinhuanet.com reports.

According to the website, many political discussions and campaign posters centre on the idea that a high number of Irish people are fearful that they may have to leave the country if they wish to find permanent employment.

Peter Sirr, a lecturer at Trinity College, said it was commonplace for jobseekers to head overseas in the 1990s, but added: "It is a terrible indictment of a country to have to export their young."

Ireland's Central Statistics Office predicted 100,000 people will emigrate from the nation in the next two years.

It is expected that Fine Gael will soon begin contacting potential coalition parties as it is on course to win around 75 seats in the new parliament - a number that is just shy of the amount needed to form a majority single party government.

Posted by Alex Donnell