It is interesting to see how the economic downturn is impacting in Ireland. In Kerry, for example, over 1,000 construction workers have either emigrated or lost their jobs in the last six months.

The Construction Industry Federation said that Kerry's construction workforce now stands at around 5,000 which is at least 20 per cent less than what it was six months ago.

The mass exodus from the building industry is not fully reflected in the county's growing unemployment figures as many migrant workers have either returned to their native countries or have moved to other locations. Many workers have left for London for the anticipated building boom ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games - a boom that many workers have reported is exaggerated.

The mass fall-off in employment within the construction industry in Kerry was only previously experienced at the same level during the 1980s.

It is possible that we could see the return of Irish emigrtion to Britain but this is likely to be on a more limited scale than in the past because of the significant downturn in the British economy.