Returning emigrants are not looking for a red-carpet, just fairness

Source: The Irish Times, 18/09/2018

Opinion: No justification for denying them maternity benefit or
third-level fees for kids
In 2015, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade published
Ireland’s first official policy on diaspora issues, stating it is
“important that moving or returning to this country is as easy a
process as possible”.
The policy identified a number of barriers to returning emigrants,
including recognition of qualifications and driving licences, lack of
affordable housing, and job opportunities.
While these were correctly highlighted as issues facing returning
emigrants, they are factors that beset other residents in the State.
Soaring rent costs, for example, affect a broad swathe of Irish
society, not only new arrivals; and recognition of qualifications and
driving licences are hurdles faced by all types of newcomers to
Ireland, regardless of their nationality.
At the time that policy was published, there were approximately 23,000
more Irish citizens leaving the country annually than returning. Three
years later, and for the first time since 2009, Ireland is now
welcoming more of its citizens home than the number departing the country.
I say welcoming, but the individuals and families returning to live in
the country they grew up in do not necessarily feel welcomed.
Since going live last month, Moving2Ireland.com - a new website set up
to offer practical information for people planning to return or
relocate to Ireland - has received remarkable feedback from
individuals and families who, in one way or another, have encountered
obstacles, foreseen and unforeseen, on their return to Ireland. Two
issues stand out in particular: access to maternity benefits, and the
cost of third-level education.
One of the biggest shocks that many Irish women and families encounter
upon returning home is the news that they may not be entitled to paid
maternity benefits.Although public maternity care is available to all
expectant mothers who are “ordinarily resident” in Ireland - referring
to someone living in Ireland and who intends to do so for at least the
next 12 months - the eligibility threshold to receive maternity
benefit is set far higher.
Maternity benefit is available to women who are on maternity leave
from work and have paid a minimum of nine months’ PRSI contributions
in the 12 months before their first day of maternity leave, the most
recent of which must have been paid in Ireland.
Even if a pregnant returning emigrant finds work before her baby is
due, she would not be able to make enough PRSI contributions within
that period to qualify for maternity benefit. Moreover, her previous
contributions date back to whenever she was previously working in
Ireland, which may have been a number of years ago.
The upshot is that families affected by these conditions may have to
rejig their plans, either by making do upon arrival in Ireland, or by
not coming home at all. The loss of an expected weekly maternity
benefit of €240 can tip the balance in a family discussion of whether
or not to return home.
Third-level fees
Many returning families with older children, as well as returning
emigrants who wish to expand their skills within a competitive job
market, also have to come to grips with the fact that they are
effectively treated as non-Irish when it comes to third-level education.
In order to qualify for the “free fees” initiative, a prospective
student must have been living in a European Economic Area (EEA) member
state or Switzerland for at least three of the previous five years.
Irish citizens who left for a non-EEA destination, even for a couple
of years, are unable to access free fees for third-level tuition in
Ireland upon their return.
Returning Irish citizens who do not qualify for free fees may still be
eligible for EU fee rates, which are set by individual institutions.
Students from an EEA state who have spent five years in primary or
secondary school in Ireland may qualify for these rates, which, though
cheaper than fees paid by students from outside the EEA, are
nonetheless more expensive than the free fees enjoyed by Irish or
EEA-based students who can prove the requisite residency conditions.
Some returning emigrants are faced with the prospect of paying
colossal sums for continuing their education in Ireland, as much as
€200,000 for a four-year course. This is the case even if they
completed secondary school in Ireland before living on temporary
status in a non-EEA country.
Obstacles
By mitigating these obstacles, Ireland would be able to attract even
more emigrants back home, as well as make the lives of those who have
already moved back more straightforward. Failure to do so is a failure
to fulfil the legitimate expectations of people who are committing to
an uncertain future.
During the process of researching content for Moving2Ireland.com, and
through speaking with Irish candidates for the company’s Canada-based
recruitment agency (Outpost Recruitment) for construction
professionals, we have listened to countless families who are
considering returning home but are put off, at least for now, by the
prospect of having to raise a newborn entirely on their own dime, or
sending a teenager to university without public assistance. These
individuals and families have successful careers abroad and would,
over time, inject far more in tax contributions than they would
receive in benefits soon after returning.
Ultimately, there is no sound argument, ethical or economic, to
denying returning citizens access to maternity benefits and subsidised
third-level education on the same terms as those who have been
residing in the State. Returning emigrants are not looking for the
red-carpet treatment on their return, just fairness and common sense.