Ms Judy McAvoy:

No, one can only access EU fees. If one has not been in the country for three out of the past five years but has been in school for five years in the EU or Ireland, one can avail of EU fees but not the free fees. That only applies to undergraduates; it does not apply to postgraduates. That is a major problem. It is a barrier for people and is extremely upsetting. We advise these people that it is possible to appeal. The final decision rests with the dean of the relevant college, but I have no idea how often those appeals are successful. We have not heard about any that have been successful. It is a real barrier for people, and is very frustrating and confusing for them when they are planning to come back. Usually, these people are returning to Ireland because they have had families and want to settle down with their families and friends and build a life here. However, experience overseas is often not recognised on pay scales, including for occupations such as psychology. A person returning from Australia might have been in college in Ireland, have ten years experience of working as a psychologist in Australia and would be put at the bottom of the pay scale upon his or her return to Ireland. That is also an issue. I am hearing about such things all the time. It is extremely upsetting and very frustrating for people in those situations.