Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand what the Deputy raised but the crux of the matter is the residency issue for three out of the previous five years. That is a long-standing policy within the Department and the Government, as he will appreciate. It comes on the basis of proving that the person has a direct connection to the State and is ordinarily resident here. We appreciate that it obviously costs an awful lot of money to educate people. We appreciate that fees are much more expensive when a person is non-resident or is from outside the European Union but, by the same token, it also costs the Exchequer a lot of money to educate people. That is why the basic parameter of three out of the previous five years was introduced. It is a long-standing policy. It is similar to other EU jurisdictions with regard to how they deal with their citizens living outside the jurisdiction.

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