Reasons to return

Anyone who has ever lived and worked abroad would agree that many Irish emigrants say they yearn for their homeland and see their migration overseas as temporary. However, as the months and years go by and more opportunities arise and earnings increase, they and their family become all the more settled in the new place they are calling home.

Yet, speak to most emigrants and they will almost always say they would like to return, however much prosperity keeps them in their adopted land. With the holiday season now in full swing and resolutions and plans being made for 2018, we look at some of the key reasons to come back to Ireland and make the next ticket home in 2018 the one-way ticket you may have been thinking about since you left.

Reasons for jobseekers to return to Ireland

Ireland is booming again

Your country needs you! With the Celtic tiger long dead, the phrase Celtic Phoenix has been bandied about, with commentators being mindful not to jinx the recovery. The 2nd Quarterly National Household Survey of 2017 has seen an increase in employment by 48,000, with near full employment being reached in some regions. The big-growth sectors are accountancy and finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, digital marketing and construction technology.

Family

One of the key and most personal of reasons emigrants finally take the plunge and return home is family. This can be enforced – to care for a sick parent or relative, for example – but in most cases, it is by choice. As emigrants begin to settle down and have families of their own, the need and desire for a close support network, both physical and emotional, become more apparent. You will often hear people say: “I want my children to know their grandparents and their cousins.” Skype calls are all well and good but there is no substitute for a hug or face-to-face chat.

There are also very practical reasons, such as assisting with child minding and pastoral care. One of the main reasons for isolation and homesickness abroad is due to a lack of family support.

Brexit

With Brexit in motion, it means UK insurance companies may lose passporting rights which allow UK firms to access customers and financial markets in the EU, according to Isme council member David Waldron of Cloudstrong. This has seen a flurry of companies in this industry moving base to other EU countries in recent times; in particular Dublin is a base that’s looked on favourably. “There are good opportunities in this financial and insurance area for prospective returnee migrant workers,” he says.

Full employment

Recent figures show the national unemployment rate hitting 6 per cent–- and when you factor in geographic disparity in job creation, we’re actually hitting full employment in certain sectors in our cities. Talented employees in high-demand areas such as IT and engineering are business critical, and companies are broadening their incentives to draw them home.

Relocation incentives

“We’ve seen organisations going beyond the traditional reward package, and assisting the transition with a variety of support services more akin to a concierge service, encompassing short-term accommodation, relocation services, banking assistance, health insurance, and support to family members who are also returning – some even go as far as providing guides to the best restaurants and bars that returning emigrants may have missed out on while they were away,” Joseph Benkanoun, digital communications manager, Great Place to Work, says. Those that can leverage the unique value of their experience abroad are taking advantage of this situation, and negotiating generous packages to return home to.

The food

There’s no taste like home! Despite having some of the finest internationally renowned chefs and embracing international cuisine, we still love our old staples. The simple cup of tea – Lyons or Barry’s – Tayto, Kerrygold, the perfect pint Guinness, are all available in some form abroad. But it could be asked, does a cup of Barry’s tea really hit the spot in 50ºC heat served with UHT milk? And does Guinness really travel?

Silicon Docks

There's no denying the digital transformation that's taking place in Ireland and globally at the moment. This in turn means lots of opportunities for emigrants to return to Ireland, especially those who specialise in the broad-range field of IT, and may have moved pre-2008 to pastures new abroad. From data centre kit outs, to IT and cloud-based engineering roles, to software and app design, to security services and solutions, and IoT beginning to see improved growth, employers are crying out for experienced people in these fields, Isme's Waldron says. Even without well-known companies like Facebook, Google and Ebay, there's constant recruiting for SMEs in these sectors that are gaining significant growth also.

Ireland is “open” again for health and social care staff. Niall McDevitt, managing director of Cpl Healthcare, says that having taken the brunt of the public sector recruitment freeze for more than five years, with many of these professionals moving abroad, Ireland is open again for health and social care staff, with many returning in their droves. “It is widely known that a healthcare qualification opens doors worldwide which Irish qualified staff used to their advantage during leaner times. Now nurses, allied health and social care professionals and doctors are being actively enticed to return to Ireland with the carrot of permanent positions, from front-line to management roles with attractive relocation packages,” he says.

Getting around

Everywhere is accessible in Ireland, within two-three hours’ drive. Europe is also accessible with cheap flights available, so there is the opportunity to experience varied cultures within a 1½ or two hour flying time, unlike Australia.