A chara, – The financial roadblocks discouraging Irish people who want to return home and pursue an academic course leading to a degree were highlighted by Feargal Quinn (Ind) (Seanad Report, October 18th). As well as paying registration fees, emigrants returning from non-EU countries have to pay high fees depending on the institution and the faculty.
Most of our people have immigrated to Anglophone countries outside the EU. If the potential student is returning to the land of their birth, having worked a short number of years in North America or Australia, they will be treated as a foreigner from outside the EU and accordingly charged very high fees.
A correspondent Gillian Marron (Letters, October 5th) told us her son would be treated as an international student if he returned to Ireland – and he would not be able to afford that level of fees.
Furthermore, returnees are not entitled to any support from SUS1, the student grant aid body, irrespective of their financial circumstances. This is a very unfair situation that could be rectified without huge cost to the exchequer.
Politicians like to make speeches about welcoming home our young people, in particular those who had to leave when the Celtic tiger expired. So why not remove the roadblocks and create gateways instead for our people who want to come home to further their education and contribute to the quality of Irish society?
A big fanfare was made about “The Gathering” welcoming visitors with Irish connections and, in fairness, it was largely a very successful venture. However, I cannot help but recall Gabriel Byrne’s comments at the time when he said we the Irish at home could not care less about our emigrants and he referred to “The Gathering” as “The Shakedown”. Maybe our politicians will prove him wrong on this issue. I hope to be surprised! – Is mise,
Dr DERMOT QUISH,
(Lecturer in teacher
education GMIT),
Bruach na Mara,
Cárna,
Conamara,
Co Galway.