Sir, – The twin problems of university fees and offering tax incentives to entice emigrants to return could be solved very easily by introducing university fees that could be allowable against income tax for a period of, say, 20 years. The advantages of this arrangement would be enormous. Universities would get funding. Those who do not emigrate would get their fees back within a few years if they needed to pay off a loan. The tax incentive would be there for emigrants to return. The taxpayer would not fund the third-level education of someone who emigrated permanently and gave nothing back to the State. The taxpayer would not fund the education of those who could afford fees. – Yours, etc,
JOHN MURPHY,
Monkstown,
Cork.