Is Ireland as bad as some people make it out to be?

aido79

I have been living in Australia for the last 10 years but am planning on moving back to Ireland next year.
From reading the news there seems to all sorts of crisis going on...health, housing etc.
I will be moving back with my wife and 2 kids and am an electrician. I own a house there so I won't be affected by the housing crisis?
I generally take most things on Facebook with a pinch of salt but the amount of negative comments on articles from Rte or other news sites makes Ireland seem like some third world economy. Are these comments being made by people who can never be satisfied no matter what is done by the government or is it the view of the majority of the population?
I'm trying to keep an open mind but the negativity has me a bit worried.

Ush1

Ara it's grand like.

umop episdn

Bring spuds!.... we're starving

mel.b

I’ve just done the reverse of you, lived in Ireland for the past 10yrs and have just returned to Australia.

Some of it i would say is true...hospital a&e waiting times for example in Ireland are horrendous...you are talking hours (and not 3-4hrs), think double that. Saying that a baby died at sunshine hospital the other day in a&e after being triaged and waiting for 2hrs. Waiting list for access to public specialists is also appalling. I was referred to an orthopaedic doctor in Dec 2016 and received a letter in April 2018 asking if i still wanted to be on the waiting list. Fortunately i had the money to go privately and had seen a doctor privately in Jan 2017.

I work in early intervention and notice stark differences. The services are extremely stretched in Ireland, however they are actually more coordinated because the team has all professionals (ot, speech, pysch, pt etc), whereas here the team i work on only has ot amd speech and thanks to NDIS people are getting services from all over the place rather than all in one organization. Adults with a disability seem to get more here than in Ireland, however in Ireland, children with ASD get access to ASD preschools and other things for free that don’t exisit in Australia (or that families have to pay hugely for). My nephew here in Oz has ASD and currently cannot get services thanks to NDIS, however in Ireland he’d be with a team until 18 (although how much service he’d get from them is another thing).

Housing, i also own my house in Ireland and the thought of buying here in Australia is terrifying with the prices, especially having witnessed the collapse in Ireland. If you have a house to go back to you’re ok, but if you have tenants in the house then they may not be.

wakka12

The lack of housing being built is as bad as it sounds and is not being taken seriously enough as it will have huge implications.
The rest is grand..'third world economy' whaa??

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

Owryan

Bad news is good for the news industry, so they tend to focus on it.

Are things bad, yes, but when did we not have a housing crisis, when was there not problems accessing health services?

SCOOP 64

Nothing that would warrant not living in Ireland.
Still has to be one of the best places in Europe to bring up kids.

umop episdn

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Nothing that would warrant not living in Ireland.
Still has to be one of the best places in Europe to bring up kids.

And no maneating spiders too!

DEFTLEFTHAND

Bit of a lost country.

Tend to take off every fad from yanks and Brits. A lot of the regressive leftist culture especially.




Not really a confident place or nation that runs smoothly.


The real fun will start after Brexit goes through and the EU come after our Corporation tax. As an insignificant backwater we'll be hung out to dry.

No friends. They're going to roll us.

Ygritte

Ireland is geared for families and you would have a good quality of life here. Since you have a house to come back to that's one issue avoided, and that should also make it easier with schools for the children too. You also won't have issues with getting work now either.



Having said that if you talk to any person that's single, over 40 (maybe even lower than that, 35!?!) and earning minimum wage they would have a very different view of the country which might explain the varying comments you've read on Facebook.



People can only see things from their perspective and like another poster said the media love negative stories.

Mrcaramelchoc

The weather is ****e.don't come Back.

no.8

Mrcaramelchoc wrote:

The weather is ****e.don't come Back.

Disagree (unless you are living out at sea that is). I would say its dynamic and changeable and there is plenty of sunshine at times

utyh2ikcq9z76b

Best social welfare system in the world

Galwayguy35

The health service is the most urgent problem that needs fixing but I have a feeling we will be saying the same thing about that in 30 years time unless someone comes in and tears the whole lot down and builds a service that's fit for purpose, otherwise it's not a bad country to live in.

The people who are always whinging about Ireland are the ones who want the Government to wipe their arse for therm and give them free money and houses.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Galwayguy35

Ygritte wrote: »

Having said that if you talk to any person that's single, over 40 (maybe even lower than that, 35!?!) and earning minimum wage they would have a very different view of the country which might explain the varying comments you've read on Facebook.

Really?

Any single person over 40 you say?

I'm one of these people and I'm very happy living in Ireland

Sciprio

Gone 10 years? Jaysus! Definitely an australian I bet you've even got one of those crikey kids? Face it, You're an aussie now!:o

rosmoke

This really made me laugh
So much sunshine that most of us have vitamin D deficiency.
Average wind speed is 30km/h.
We need to go to a different country for skying, for snowboarding, for camping, buying booze, even for swimming.
When I hear some folks talking about quality of life here, it makes me think they never experienced normal weather.

Don't mean to bash the country, only the weather.

no.8 wrote: »

Disagree (unless you are living out at sea that is). I would say its dynamic and changeable and there is plenty of sunshine at times

AndyBoBandy

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

The real fun will start after Brexit goes through and the EU come after our Corporation tax.

Source?

Or opinion?

Galwayguy35

rosmoke wrote: »

This really made me laugh
So much sunshine that most of us have vitamin D deficiency.
Average wind speed is 30km/h.
We need to go to a different country for skying, for snowboarding, for camping, buying booze, even for swimming.
When I hear some folks talking about quality of life here, it makes me think they never experienced normal weather.

Don't mean to bash the country, only the weather.

I'll take a bit of rain over droughts, earthquakes, landslides, volcano eruptions and tornados any day.

doolox

I would have thought that the world is your oyster with Electrical qualifications.

You should have no problem getting a job or getting paid enough to live on, I suppose it all depends on what skills your partner can bring to the table.

Childcare in Ireland is very expensive.

Traffic at peak times in the Dublin and Galway areas is shambolic. As a tradesman carry equipment I suppose public transport is not usable and getting parking for the van will be epically difficult unless you have a well planned worksite to go to.

The latest trend among tradesmen is having their lifes worth of tools and equipment stolen, leaving them high and dry because insurance will not cover the costs of tools and equipment at a reasonable cost.

The latest collapse of Carillion and Sammon construction has stopped work on many schools in Ireland and has led to losses among contractors not getting paid. This probably is common enough worldwide but is especially acute in Ireland since everyone expects to get paid and reputations are hard to keep and repair in such a small community.

While your skill sector is buoyant, getting properly paid and keeping your property from being stolen are big concerns.

razorblunt

It's quite simple really, nowhere is ever as good as they say, nowhere is ever as bad as they. The truth is somewhere in between.









Except for Cork, Cork is paradise.

super_furry

Ireland's class but most people posting here are miserable.

Agricola

It's grand if you don't need a house or plan to steer clear of hospitals.

Ygritte

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Really?

Any single person over 40 you say?

I'm one of these people and I'm very happy living in Ireland

Why do people only read half a sentence? Are you on minimum wage Galwayguy or did you miss that bit?

Wheeliebin30

Agricola wrote: »

It's grand if you don't need a house or plan to steer clear of hospitals.

Our hospitals provide excellent healthcare when you get in, it’s the getting in but that’s hard.

But there is some excellent work and staff in our hospitals that don’t get enough credit.

SEPT 23 1989

Serious money to be made over the next few years but it won't last

theteal

Op, don't be surprised if you're accosted by some plastic patriots who will give you grief for abandoning the country in it's time of need while they stood strong, took the welfare cheque and rebuilt the country

brevity

The more I read about what's going on in other countries the happier I am in Ireland. Sure, it's got its problems and the weather can be ****e but nowhere is perfect.

Galwayguy35

Ygritte wrote: »

Why do people only read half a sentence? Are you on minimum wage Galwayguy or did you miss that bit?

A euro over it

utyh2ikcq9z76b

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

A euro over it

Mr Fat Cat over here

irishman86

aido79 wrote: »

I have been living in Australia for the last 10 years but am planning on moving back to Ireland next year.
From reading the news there seems to all sorts of crisis going on...health, housing etc.
I will be moving back with my wife and 2 kids and am an electrician. I own a house there so I won't be affected by the housing crisis?
I generally take most things on Facebook with a pinch of salt but the amount of negative comments on articles from Rte or other news sites makes Ireland seem like some third world economy. Are these comments being made by people who can never be satisfied no matter what is done by the government or is it the view of the majority of the population?
I'm trying to keep an open mind but the negativity has me a bit worried.

Ive just left Ireland but i found the economy was picking up again
My friends in the construction industry all had work lined up for the year which hasnt been a thing in a while
Like you said you have a house so avoid that and its crazy prices
Having lived in Australia myself, would i leave there again if i was in your situation with a child. Not for a second
I moved to Argentina so as my child can enjoy a proper outdoor childhood, that your kids will get in Australia.
If its to see more of your family, you should read some stories about that. In the majority people end up very disappointed with this reason
in short DONT LEAVE AUSTRALIA :pac:

Graces7

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Our hospitals provide excellent healthcare when you get in, it’s the getting in but that’s hard.

But there is some excellent work and staff in our hospitals that don’t get enough credit.

Please read the "Rate my Hospital " site comments..

http://www.ratemyhospital.ie/

I have scars both physical and mental....

aido79

Thanks for all the replies... both the positive and the negative ones.
My main reason for returning to Ireland apart from family is that I am planning on returning to college to get an engineering degree which will take 3 years full-time. This will mean that my wife will be the main breadwinner with family helping out with childcare.
We have savings so not overly worried about the financial side of things as we don't have a mortgage.
We haven't made up our minds on whether we will stay in Ireland but we will all have Australian passports so will always have the option to move back to Australia if it doesn't work out.

riffmongous

aido79 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies... both the positive and the negative ones.
My main reason for returning to Ireland apart from family is that I am planning on returning to college to get an engineering degree which will take 3 years full-time. This will mean that my wife will be the main breadwinner with family helping out with childcare.
We have savings so not overly worried about the financial side of things as we don't have a mortgage.
We haven't made up our minds on whether we will stay in Ireland but we will all have Australian passports so will always have the option to move back to Australia if it doesn't work out.

Why not just do the degree in Australia?

aido79

riffmongous wrote: »

Why not just do the degree in Australia?

Given serious consideration to that but done the maths and can't afford it. My wife's wages over here wouldn't be enough to support us especially if we had to pay for childcare for 2 kids without any family support.

Edward M

Its hard to say for someone else what is the best for you or anyone but themselves.
Personally I had higher ambitions,for myself here when younger, but events in life took over and I settled down with a woman and a kid.
I have still always been happy and thankfully gainfully employed.
My advice is look at it yourself and decide what you think is best and go with that.
I find Ireland has always been good enough to me, and overall have no complaints about conditions here, but a family man who wants a degree can sometimes be a selfish outlook, particularly as if you have a good trade like electrical anyway. Remember if your degree puts you under financial pressure it is just not you it affects now, its your wife and kids too.
Its funny when you look at it really, you're in oz, the land of opportunity and money making, yet to realise your real ambition you have to come home, because of the supports available here.
I hope you get your degree, but equally I hope you remember where you got it and use it here, not just the system to get it and then fcuk back to oz or elsewhere to cash in on it as many do.

robp

Ireland is still a great place but unfortunately is ruined by bad urban planning and a statist nanny political class who tries to restrict personal freedoms to no end while still giving in to ll the knee jerk PC nonsense.

Eggs For Dinner

State of the HSE, cost of housing, everyone suing eachother for compo, charity bosses ripping off doners, gangland murders, corporate thieving etc are tolerable as long as we still have access to a bag of Tayto

aido79

aido79 wrote: »

Given serious consideration to that but done the maths and can't afford it. My wife's wages over here wouldn't be enough to support us especially if we had to pay for childcare for 2 kids without any family support.

Have you researched the cost of doing the degree in Ireland? My wife and I moved back to Ireland from Australia a couple of years ago and she went to do a postgrad and was told she didn't qualify for EU resident fees as we had been living in Australia for a few years. Eventually she was able to prove EU residnecy with her Irish passport and that we had returned and were living here but it took a while.

Also, Ireland is great to live in. The weather is grand, not as good as Australia obviously but sure the 40 degree days in Sydney can be horrible to go outside in as it's just far too hot.

Mrcaramelchoc

no.8 wrote: »

Disagree (unless you are living out at sea that is). I would say its dynamic and changeable and there is plenty of sunshine at times

Bollox.compared to Australia its ****e.

Plenty of sunshine "at times" lol

2forjoy

In Ireland you get what you pay for which is why it is expensive.
If people just buy what they want and that's what they see .
Irish people tend to buy a lot of junk.
They won't pay for tap water but they will buy bottled water at the rate of about €10 per week.
Come home and enjoy the Wild Irish countryside.

Pauliedragon

aido79 wrote: »

I have been living in Australia for the last 10 years but am planning on moving back to Ireland next year.
From reading the news there seems to all sorts of crisis going on...health, housing etc.
I will be moving back with my wife and 2 kids and am an electrician. I own a house there so I won't be affected by the housing crisis?
I generally take most things on Facebook with a pinch of salt but the amount of negative comments on articles from Rte or other news sites makes Ireland seem like some third world economy. Are these comments being made by people who can never be satisfied no matter what is done by the government or is it the view of the majority of the population?
I'm trying to keep an open mind but the negativity has me a bit worried.

I came back a year ago after 18 years in Sydney and have no complaints (Winter was a struggle I'll admit but apparantly it was worse than most years.) I find Irish people very negative. Health system is a mess but It's been like that as long as I can remember. Housing is bad too but as you stated that's not an issue. Other than that it's a fine place to live. On the positive side compared to Sydney people are much more polite/friendlier. Food is fresher, cheaper and nicer. Having neighbours that look out for each other instead of a grunt. Even though people here complain about traffic it's a breeze compared to Sydney. Cork has more motorways than Sydney, work that one out. All in all both places have pluses and minuses but to repeat myself I do think a lot of Irish people are way too negative.

salmocab

Where you moving back to?
What type of sparking do you do?
Electrical industry is flying at the moment you wouldn’t have any hassle getting work even if it’s just the summer, I’m sure a small operator would be happy to have a guy available the odd Saturday and even the odd evening.

ChikiChiki

aido79 wrote: »

I have been living in Australia for the last 10 years but am planning on moving back to Ireland next year.
From reading the news there seems to all sorts of crisis going on...health, housing etc.
I will be moving back with my wife and 2 kids and am an electrician. I own a house there so I won't be affected by the housing crisis?
I generally take most things on Facebook with a pinch of salt but the amount of negative comments on articles from Rte or other news sites makes Ireland seem like some third world economy. Are these comments being made by people who can never be satisfied no matter what is done by the government or is it the view of the majority of the population?
I'm trying to keep an open mind but the negativity has me a bit worried.

You have your own house. No stress, mortgage free, a wonderful country to be in. On the other hand if your trying to get on the ladder with a mortgage, good luck with life!

Personally, my opinion is people are far apathethic towards everything. Health and housing being prime examples.

ChikiChiki

Patww79 wrote: »

It's grand. I hope people that stayed here and paid tax get a job ahead of you though.

I stayed here and worked throughout the recession and left in 2017. Whats my job entitlement Pat?

KERSPLAT!

irishman86 wrote: »

Ive just left Ireland but i found the economy was picking up again
My friends in the construction industry all had work lined up for the year which hasnt been a thing in a while
Like you said you have a house so avoid that and its crazy prices
Having lived in Australia myself, would i leave there again if i was in your situation with a child. Not for a second
I moved to Argentina so as my child can enjoy a proper outdoor childhood, that your kids will get in Australia.
If its to see more of your family, you should read some stories about that. In the majority people end up very disappointed with this reason
in short DONT LEAVE AUSTRALIA :pac:

We don't have outdoors in Ireland?

suicide_circus

You have no mortgage, you have savings and an extremely in demand profession, you're laughing to be honest.

JustAThought

I hope you have a plan for what job you hope to get with your new qualification in 3 or 4 years time when the country is awash with unemployed and highly qualified and experienced engineers.

I didnt stay in Oz as the country didnt suit me but now am beginning to wonder - if you have a nice lifestyle,family and good quality of life over there I would be scratching my head as to why you would abandon it all to come back here when you already have a respected trade and livliehood. Race to the bottom here with salaries, quality of life and commute times usually poor unless you work in the sticks or start pre 7am, the taxes are crucifing (half your salary before you start paying for mortgage/childcare/insurance etc) and property tax set to rise again by a couple of hundred in 2019. I'd seriously be asking why. Is a minimum wage job at entry level in engineering in 4 years time and 4 years of scrimping and sacrifices really going to pay off - you wont get those years back.

august12

aido79 wrote:

Thanks for all the replies... both the positive and the negative ones. My main reason for returning to Ireland apart from family is that I am planning on returning to college to get an engineering degree which will take 3 years full-time. This will mean that my wife will be the main breadwinner with family helping out with childcare. We have savings so not overly worried about the financial side of things as we don't have a mortgage. We haven't made up our minds on whether we will stay in Ireland but we will all have Australian passports so will always have the option to move back to Australia if it doesn't work out.

I think you need to have lived in Ireland or an EU country for 3 years of the previous 5 years prior to starting a course to avail of free fees, otherwise you will have to fork out full fees, which could be anything from 5,000 and upwards a year, probably won't qualify for maintenance grant either.