RTÉ Prime Time appearance sees influencer Keelin Moncrieff under fire after 'slamming' Donegal

Dublin influencer Keelin Moncrieff has come under fire after appearing on RTÉ Prime Time last night.

The influencer told the show how she cannot afford to buy a house near her family, despite making a “substantial salary."

In last night's episode it was reported that "according to one recent EU survey, more than two in three young adults in Ireland are living with their parents. The EU statistics agency, Eurostat, said that 68% of 18-34-year-olds in Ireland lived with their parents in sharp contrast to rates in many of our European neighbours."

Keelin said: "I was living in London but I became pregnant and wanted to move home as I wanted my child to grow up around her family. I am someone who makes a substantial salary for my age and it is nothing to do with my spending. I am saving, I can get approved for a mortage but I cannot afford to live anywhere where I grew up or anywhere close to my family in the first place so me moving home was probably futile because I am going to have to move up to Donegal. I know I am very lucky for the position I am in as I have a roof over my head. 

"I do think it is a disgrace as people are told they are not working hard enough or making enough money which is not the case. That is a lie we are being told to continue the blame on the people rather than the goverment taking accountability which is that they are the problem."

This segment sprung from a viral TikTok made by a creator Dave Bennett who posted a video expressing his frustration over living with his parents and how it is the reality for most people today. 

In the video he said: ""I f**king love my parents but you can't be with someone in that small a space all the time and get on with them and have that nice relationship that you're meant to have. It's like Big Brother. You're basically in Big Brother with your parents, but no one wins €100,000 at the end of it."

During the segment financial advisor Eoin McGee says a young person earning €50,000 a year, who is paying rent and trying to cover the cost of living, will now take just over 15 years to save a deposit to buy the average house.

Eoin said: ""You really have to be above average now to get anywhere on the property ladder, or else you need to get help from the Bank of Mum and Dad. It's one or the other or a combination of both."

The segment explains the challenges of living with your parents including "no sense of independence as well as difficulty in romantic relationships."

Eoin McGee said "that life becomes difficult for young adults going on "a fourth or fifth date and they've nowhere to go back to afterwards. It makes life even more expensive. If you can only date at a restaurant and you've nowhere that you can call your own you have nowhere else to go except somewhere that is going to charge you money for being there it makes it very difficult just to progress with life stuff."

Viewers have not reacted well to Moncrieff explaining she may have to move to Donegal. 

One user took to Instagram to say: "Did I miss something here ? What’s wrong with Donegal ??"

Another user said: "Donegal is actually a very nice place to live. Please do not make it sound like a punishment."

Another user said: "Not much point in her buying in Donegal, as she flippantly suggests."