Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In recent times, the Government has made much ado about encouraging emigrants to come home and work in the teaching, nursing and social work professions. If such people have been out of the country for more than three of the past five years, they cannot access postgraduate courses without paying for them. A girl of whom I am aware left Killarney in 2014 at the age of 24. She came back last June and wishes to access a course in Trinity College Dublin which should cost €6,300 but, because she was away for three of the past five years, will cost her €11,600. She has spent 24 and a half years of her life in this country. Why is a limit being put on her such that she must be in the country for the past three years? Is this rule intended to apply to immigrants from other countries? It should not apply to people who were bred, born and reared in our country and who spent the most part of their lives here and will not even be able to access a SUSI grant.

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