Sir, – I am appalled to learn that my son, who has been living and working abroad for the past three years, will now be treated as an international student if he wishes to return to Ireland to study.
He, like many of his contemporaries, emigrated to find employment when none was on offer in his own country. He was not a burden on the State and never claimed social welfare. Instead he went to China where he has been teaching English. Next year he had hoped to come home, go to college and improve his job prospects. But the fees for international students are beyond his means. Engineering fees in the Dublin Institute of Technology, for instance, are a whopping €12,250.
There must be thousands of young people in a similar position who were scattered around the world in the past few years. I think the State owes its young citizens a better deal than this. – Yours, etc,
GILLIAN MARRON,
Rowanbyrn,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.