Ms Judy McAvoy:

I see this issue arising regularly. I had a call yesterday from a person who was extremely upset. He or she had been away for the last seven years and wanted to do a masters degree, but would have to pay non-resident fees because of his or her absence. He or she was extremely upset; his or her plan has fallen through. He or she could not understand, as someone who was returning to the country and who had contributed to it for so long - and, indeed, who had great experiences working and studying overseas - why he or she would not be allowed to do something to improve Ireland further by going back to college. There is a rule for undergraduates only whereby if one has been at school in Ireland or the EU for five years, one can access EU fees, but-----