Costs and Pros/Cons of raising kids in Ireland.

movinghome..

Hello,

I am planning to move our family back to Ireland- mainly to give our 2 young boys an Irish upbringing with all it's strengths and flaws.
Our 2 boys will be 5 and 2 and half by the time we will have moved back- about April 2022.

It is going to be a massive move to uproot from where we are atm in (North East Asia) culturally as well as everything else but we think it is going to be worth it in the long run.
What do you consider good and bad points of raising kids in Ireland?

My wife is Asian and will be unable to work for a few years at least at home. I will likely go back to some type of education to upskill to become a better employment prospect too. We will need to go through the whole process of getting PPS numbers for my wife and kids to begin with.

Just trying to plan a budget for the types of expenses that would lay ahead after we settle there for 2 young kids. We plan on sending our eldest boy to primary school at the beginning of the 2022/'23 school year and our youngest will most likely just stay at home instead of going to daycare although we may send for a few hours a day until he is ready for primary too.

It has been about 15 years since I have been in Ireland for anything more than a short visit so am curious about the types and amounts of monthly expenses raising kids in the countryside (hopefully) would be there for a family going the public education route.

Thanks.

jlm29

I think a lot depends on where in the country you would be? Maybe not so much though, if you’re not factoring in childcare.
Also note that each child gets two free years of preschool, 3hrs per day 5 days a week, for the two years before they start primary school. Start date is dependant on age.

shesty

Cautiously (because a lot depends on where exactly you are coming from and going to)....

Cons
Weather.Toddlers + Irish winter is a disaster.If you are near the coast, or outside cities, you tend to have more options to get out.But horizontal rain is not much fun to be out in.

Childcare.Costs a fortune, there is no joined up thinking at a government level.No real plans for it either.If you both work, but have no family support nearby you will probably struggle.

Education...everyone has mixed views on this.I have no real issues myself other than the school seem to be constantly be wanting 10eur here, 20 eur there.Consider your feelings about religion in the education system.It is an issue for many parents.

Commuting...I mention this because it will be a massive factor in your life if you are in long commutes.Try to locate near potential work just for quality of life, which can be a tricky balance.

Facilities...we are not good at providing public pools, swimming lessons, sports facilities and that.There is a vast improvement in playgrounds etc but it can be very dependent on where you are living.

Pros...
Our landscape is amazing.A good Irish summer is unbelievable with kids, so much outdoor stuff to do and places to go.So many things you never knew about

Education....we are really improving our thinking on the early years and kids are not under pressure for exams in primary schools.Also regardless of your opinions on religion, schools will accept and try to facilitate you where possible.

Facilities...we have really upped our game in terms of parks, playgrounds and just ideas for things to do for kids.Again, it can be county dependent, but it has improved so much in many ways.

Leave...we have increased amounts of parental leave.It is unpaid, but it is available to both parents up to the age of 12 for each child.

Kids are still very much allowed to play on roads and on greens and public spaces, it is fairly normal here from my experience, which is good.

I am sure there are others but I am under pressure and cannot think!!

lazygal

Why would your wife not be able to work? Will you be working when back in education?



The school system is a major con for us. It's extremely religious, we have ours in an educate together but there's no escape from the catholic communion nonsense. Something to consider if and when you move back is how much religion you're willing to put up with.

If you want to live in the countryside, prepare for being a taxi service as soon as your children start school. Playdates, hobbies, going out as a teen will all involve cars due to the lack of public transport. You'll likely have to price in paying for college accommodation too. We made a very conscious decision to sacrifice to stay very near to Dublin city.


Other than that, I think Ireland is a fine place to raise children. I think children are accepted as part and parcel of society. There's so much more child centred stuff than when I grew up in the 1980s. Health care for children is almost free for the most part. The place is more multicultural too.

movinghome..

Thanks for this.

lazygal wrote: »

Why would your wife not be able to work? Will you be working when back in education?

Well it will take some time for my wife 1st to be legal to work because she is from outside the EU and also we will have a 2 year old to take care of.

English language will be a barrier for her for a while and there will be a settling in period.
The hope is that down the line she can and will work but it will take a few years I think.

I will work where possible but it will be a case of finding a job that works with probably studying full time too for a few years.

Financial concerns are a big factor here although we will have a decent buffer of finances to begin with at least.

movinghome..

shesty wrote: »

Cautiously (because a lot depends on where exactly you are coming from and going to)....

Thanks a lot for these. Some really good points in there.
I didn't know about the parental leave option.

The weather is always going to be an issue unfortunately.
It's the outdoorsy stuff like going for walks in the fresh air or playing on the beach or little festivals and events going on and playing (and watching) all kinds of sports that sound best when I think of our kids growing up back home.

A lot of challenges ahead too but fingers crossed all will go well.

movinghome..

jlm29 wrote: »

Also note that each child gets two free years of preschool, 3hrs per day 5 days a week, for the two years before they start primary school. Start date is dependant on age.

Useful info here- Didn't know about it. Thanks a lot.

shesty

Citizensinformation.ie is a good place to look for information.(I have had time to think now!)
Parental leave is what you are looking for (not parents leave, that is for births).

Child benefit is paid per child although I admit I am not sure how it works if you are coming from a non-EU country...that might be worth checking out.Can't honestly remember how much it is per child, but that website will tell you.

Children under 6 get a GP visit card entitling them to free GP visits.They will need a PPSN for that, and you will have to register them with a GP once you get here.

The early years scheme is called the ECCE, you will see it referred to on those information websites.You can enter your second child's birthdate and calculate when they will be eligible from.

As an aside, I would suggest checking vaccines.It is not a legal requirement here to be vaccinated but I hear more preschools are asking for the kid's records now.

I agree, we are by the sea and it is just fantastic (I say this as I look out at bucketing hailstones by the way!!) .Festivals, events, parks with playgrounds and fairy door trails, to say the least.It is no utopia, nowhere is, but I can certainly think of worse places to bring up children.Especially something we are all discovering during these times I think.At least we have a garden, a lovely green area, beaches and plenty of walks in the surrounds.It could be worse.We do have a way to go yet, but Ireland is certainly improved a lot on when we were kids!

annoyedgal

Would it be an option to spend an extended period here with your family before making the move? Maybe a month or two possibly coming into or leaving winter so your wife would have an idea what life is like here.
Just mention this as I know of a few couples who relocated here and the non Irish spouses found the irish winter very difficult with the short days. Was a deal breaker for one and they returned. Not trying to be a downer but it will be the biggest transition for your wife so better to in the know.
I think it's a great country for children. Grew up in the country, live in the city. Both have loads to offer families. Actually like the climate now we are on the east coast! Rarely too hot for smallies. School in general are very good. Beautiful beaches and scenery. Good sense of community still exists.
Cons are childcare which is expensive. Creche and school places can be scarce on the ground depending on the area. Eating and drinking is dear as is car insurance.
As I said I would have no worries about the children, I'm sure they will love it but I would feel for your wife at home with a toddler, with a language barrier and a lousy winter.

LadyMayBelle

I moved back to Galway from London, having done a couple of years in Dublin and boy have I regrets. The weather, Christ it's unreal. Like Shesty said, horizontal rain and kids is no fun. Ireland is not great for activities for kids like playgrounds etc so you would struggle without a car, or choose v wisely where you want to locate. A trial period would be great!

Not got school age little ones yet but again perhaps Educate Together schools would have massively less religion being taught.

annoyedgal

That's interesting. We are toying with the idea of moving from Dublin to the north west for more family support but the weather there is really putting me off! Still remember those rainy summers...!

quote="LadyMayBelle;113365589"]I moved back to Galway from London, having done a couple of years in Dublin and boy have I regrets. The weather, Christ it's unreal. Like Shesty said, horizontal rain and kids is no fun. Ireland is not great for activities for kids like playgrounds etc so you would struggle without a car, or choose v wisely where you want to locate. A trial period would be great!

Not got school age little ones yet but again perhaps Educate Together schools would have massively less religion being taught.[/quote]

fits

I live in a rural area in the South East with twin 3 year olds. Love living in Ireland I don't mind the weather much at all but this winter was a bit relentless alright. In general I find it quite nice here. We dont really have much of a social life though - which is fine for now. You have to be fairly proactive to meet people. I go to local parent and toddler group once a week and have found it great but had to persist with it at the start.

If I had no ties anywhere in Ireland I'd probably pick a town like Kilkenny or Dungarvan Co. Waterford to live in. They both have lovely parks, decent weather and nice cafes etc.

Our children arent baptised but we have no local educate together so we'll just persist with local school I think. Im hoping that will sort itself out by the time we get to school. Its not high on my list of priorities as one of the boys has additional needs and a good education for him is priority. (We arent doing badly in that regard so far at least)

pwurple

Disadvantages
The Irish language may be a challenge, perhaps you can get an exemption. It is still nailed to the cross of compulsory martyrdom here, the diehards won't let it be made enjoyable in any way. It gives some sickos a pure thrill beating leaving cert children with the damn thing.

Children are still expected to be invisible, as opposed to being included like in Scandinavian countries. If I had to pick ideal places to bring up a child, i'd head to Denmark in a flash. They genuinely love kids and anytime we go have been treated well. Our public parks and playgrounds here are woeful and far below the recommended amounts for population size. In some places, local communities have scraped together money for their own, but it's hit and miss. There's also a lingering fear of the Man with Puppies who is ready to snatch children at a moments notice, so they have very little freedom to explore or play.

We're a zenophobic little island. My friends with children of asian appearance are still asked ridiculously offensive questions by strangers.

Litter. It's disgusting how much dog waste and fly tipping goes on. But again, depends on area. Some irish people are absolutely revolting and give very little thought to their neighbours. A buggy or wheelchair with dog waste on it makes me livid. You generally don't see it in other countries...


Advantages
The standard of education is excellent. I talk to graduates from a range of countries and Ireland's grads are really fantastic.

It's a native English speaking country. In a global jobs market, that is a huge advantage.

It's absolutely beautiful, the food is good, healthcare is decent.

It's not a warzone, peace generally prevails.

We moved from Dublin to a rural area in the South West. Best thing we ever did.
We've the country side and sea. Weather not a problem, except really bad days but we can go for a walk on the beach on a blustery day.
It's a more outdoor life than the city.

We're not Catholic and have no issues in the Catholic School the kids are in. Maybe we're lucky.
The only issues are having 2 cars and the extra cost involved.

annoyedgal

In relation to schools i teach in a Catholic primary school myself. We are fully inclusive of all and no faiths and have a health mix of nationalities and religions. Perhaps it's not the same everywhere but i think things bave moved on from when our generation was in school thankfully.

shesty

Actually I will say...I am out in North County Dublin and it is a great place to live.

I think the only place I would really consciously choose not to live is South County Dublin.(and I am a Dub).Too crowded, too expensive for absolutely everything, and while there might be some nice parks and that, you are sharing the few that there are with thousands of others.Wouldn't be for me.

lazygal

annoyedgal wrote: »

In relation to schools i teach in a Catholic primary school myself. We are fully inclusive of all and no faiths and have a health mix of nationalities and religions. Perhaps it's not the same everywhere but i think things bave moved on from when our generation was in school thankfully.

Unfortunately this isn't the experience of any children and parents I know who try to opt out their children from the indoctrination. It's impossible to avoid no matter how inclusive a school thinks it is. Grow in Love is far more doctrinaire than what we were taught. It's only when you step outside the system as a non religious family that the sheer level of religious stuff in most schools become apparent. And no amount of telling us schools have changed will fix that.