STUMBLING blocks should be removed to make the return home easier for Irish emigrants, according to local election candidate Tom Neville.
The young Fine Gael candidate for the Rathkeale/ Adare area in the forthcoming local elections, maintains there are a number of obstacles an Irish emigrant experiences on returning to the ‘Old Sod’.
He pointed out that, if they were out of the country for more than two years, that an Irish person will lose their no claims bonus on car insurance.
“Regardless of how long they have been driving and demonstrating an impeccable driving record they have to start with insurance fees similar to an inexperienced driver. Coupled with this it is very difficult to get health insurance if it has lapsed for sometime as there are loading waiting times in place,” Mr Neville claimed.
The Fine Gael hopeful insists those returning home to the Emerald Isle from overseas also face difficulties in acquiring a drivers license.
“In Canada a lot of Irish construction workers need Canadian licenses to get jobs. The authorities their require you to give up your Irish license. On returning to Ireland within a certain time period an Irish person should be entitled to get their Irish license without having to give up their Canadian one,” he commented.
“Irish construction contractors often stay in Canada for a number of months on a project to return home again for a number of months before going back to Canada again. The nature of the work is contract based. Irish FIFO (fly in fly out) contractors are now very much part of modern Ireland due to the challenging economic circumstances. When they return home they are unable to get an Irish license without giving up their Canadian one.”
Mr Neville believes the momentum of economic recovery in Ireland has picked up and insists there is a need to build on this in trying to get our emigrants home.
