Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

A few weeks ago I raised the issue of an Irish student living abroad with his parents who wishes to attend university in this country. He was told he would be treated as a non-Irish citizen. It seems outrageous that he would have to pay very high fees on the basis of being considered a non-EU citizen. The same situation has occurred again. I am sure it is an anomaly and that it was not the intention. A man who lost his job three years ago went to the United Arab Emirates as he could not find work for his particular skill in this country. His youngest daughter accompanied him. She is now doing her leaving certificate in that country and has applied to go to university in Ireland. She is being told she will be treated as non-EU citizen because she has lived abroad for three years. The man in question had lived in Ireland all his life. He went abroad three years ago when he lost his specialist job and his daughter is now being treated as a non-Irish citizen. She was at school in Ireland in a Gaelscoil. She is a fluent Irish speaker, as are her sisters and brothers.

When I checked out the matter the response I was given is that under the terms of the free fees initiative eligible students are those who are first-time undergraduates and hold EU nationality or official refugee status and have been ordinarily resident in an EU member state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved course. The student in question has not been living in Ireland for three of the past five years. Because of that, even though she is a fluent Irish speaker and, like all her sisters and brothers, grew up in Ireland and was at school here, she is being treated as someone who is not even an EU citizen. I am sure that is an anomaly. It should not apply to Irish citizens. I am not sure where to go from here but it seems to me that the ruling should not apply and that it was not the intention that it would apply in such cases. We must do something about it. I urge the Leader to draw the case to the attention of the Department of Education and Skills or whoever it is that handles such matters. I will supply him with all the details. I am sure this case is an anomaly and that it can be solved, but it seems outrageous. I am aware of just two cases and I do not know whether there are many others, but something should be done to deal with the issue. I do not believe that was the intention behind the measure, and it should be corrected.