1 Strategies to help support Diaspora seeking a return to Ireland May 2015 © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 2 Foreword The Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce is Australia’s premier Irish Australian business organisation. Our membership has grown significantly over the past number of years as emigrants from Ireland have sought employment opportunities in Australia. We are committed to listening to our membership and responding to their needs. We believe we have a role to play in promoting Irish business interests in Australia as well as assisting Ireland’s economic recovery. We regularly host Irish Government Representatives including Presidents, Taoisigh, ambassadors and visiting delegations. We receive funding through the Emigrant Support Program which contributes to our national Mentoring Program which helps young Irish professionals to settle in Australia and develop a network within the Irish business community and in recent years have seen many return to Ireland having developed during their time here. We view the Irish Government as a key stakeholder and want to engage meaningfully on matters of Government Policy which impacts our members. This white paper has been prepared with this objective in mind. We acknowledge the recent launch of Irelands Diaspora Policy and believe this is a tremendous first step in developing closer ties with the Irish Diaspora. We are fully committed to playing our part in future discussions and the Chamber will be represented at the upcoming Global Irish Civic Forum by our CEO and a fellow Board Member. We look forward to engaging further on topics which affect the Irish Diaspora and encourage you to respond to the recommendations raised via email to office@irishchmaber.com.au or on social media - @irishchamber is our twitter handle, or you can find us on facebook.com/ irishchamber or our LinkedIn group, Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce. We are keen to build the engagement and debate on support initiatives so will make the hard data from the research available to Government Stakeholders and our Sponsors on request. Tom Mullarkey Board Sponsor of the White Paper Research Project May 2015 © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 3 Executive Summary The Irish economy has shown some encouraging signs of recovery since exiting the bailout program in late 2013. This improvement has allowed emigrants to realistically consider returning home for the first time since the economic downturn. We have undertaken a survey of our members to understand whether they want to return home and how the government can help. We have received a very strong response and it is obvious that a significant number of Irish Diaspora living in Australia have a desire to return home to work, to start businesses and to raise their families. Our survey reveals a sizeable majority of respondents feel that the Irish Government is not doing enough to develop those pathways to return. The main considerations in the decision to return home are the availability of employment, high relocation costs and support while searching for employment. We have made recommendations which address these issues and which we believe should form part of government future policy. We believe there is a role for the IACC in supporting our members who wish to return to Ireland. We want to contribute, in a practical way, to facilitating their return and for this reason we will initiate a returners program which will address the issues raised by our members and support them while they re-adjust to life back in Ireland. Methodology  We conducted an on-line survey of our network to research specific questions regarding those members of the Diaspora interested in returning to Ireland.  We also invited written submissions from respondents who wished to add more detailed feedback.  A sample of the first 100 respondents to this survey and individual narrative submissions received have formed the basis of our research to support the findings and the recommendations contained in this paper.  The survey was publicised through various traditional channels, on social media and through partner groups such as Engineers Ireland, to ensure a wide range of potential participants could be reached, far beyond our membership and into the wider community.  We accept that moving forward with the first 100 respondents may have some bias but believe that those first respondents were those most likely to have a genuine interest in the topic and thus would be the most representative sample of the “target market” for the Irish Government. © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 4 Demographic Respondents are predominately younger professionals with 80% below the age of 44. Of those 55% are under the age of 34. There was a relatively even split between male and female respondents while 76% held either Australian citizenship or permanent residency. A broad spectrum of industries and trades were represented. © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 5 Survey Findings Respondents have stated that government assistance is an important factor in the decision to return home but an overwhelming majority (98%) feel that the government is not doing enough. This survey was conducted as the global Irish Diaspora policy was published therefore many respondents may not have been aware of the recently launched initiatives which address engagement , communication and support for the Diaspora. However a 98% dissatisfaction rate clearly demonstrates that the government must follow through on the stated aims and objectives of the Global Irish Policy or risk alienating a large number of the Irish Australian Diaspora. Some respondents also requested a need for a change in attitude towards returning emigrants. One respondent commented “The Irish government needs, in the first instance, to acknowledge that Ireland has exported her people for generations and that they have a right to return - and would be welcome” © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 6 Respondents are satisfied with life in Australia but have a clear aspiration to return home. They are also optimistic about the possibility of returning with 60% believing they have a realistic chance of doing so within the next 5 years    63% of respondents are very satisfied with life in Australia while 26% are satisfied. 20% would like to return within the next year with 13% believing they have a realistic chance of doing so. 76% hope to return within the next 5 years. 60% believe they will be able to do so. © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 7 A majority of respondents have recently investigated the possibility of returning to Ireland to live. A variety of channels were used by respondents to obtain information with social media and recruitment companies the most common sources of information. Respondents were evenly split on the quality and relevance of the information provided. © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 8 Not surprisingly the availability of employment is the most common factor when considering the return to Ireland. Family and quality of life drivers are also prominent. 11% of respondents state opening a business as the main motivation to return, each of these businesses have the potential to make an ongoing contribution as an economic driver in their own right. © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 9 Within our consultation process, we provided an opportunity for narrative responses within the survey on how can the Irish Government better engage with and prepare you for a return to Ireland. This is a selection of the comments received. Provide tax breaks to employers who source candidates from the Diaspora. There are many highly skilled Irish people working in Australia whose knowledge and experience would be vital to the recovering economy Offer incentives for well educated, well trained Irish people to return to the workforce in Ireland. Provide specific details about current and future growth sectors and industry opportunities. Provide a structure where employers and potential candidates can connect to explore mutually beneficial opportunities. Advise what assistance may be available for returning Expats. Provide some kind of return to Ireland assistance program - financial aid separate from the dole to assist while you find a new job. Incentives to bring skill set and learning home - assistance regarding schooling as recent changes mean kids would be seen as overseas students resulting in higher fees for university It is easy for me to return but difficult for my partner as we are not married and do not meet the standard criteria as deemed appropriate by the Irish government. Only for that obstacle I would return in a matter of months. Be a business economy. Government owned business investing abroad. Irish people are exceptionally proud of a good days work. Select the best executives to represent our companies abroad from manufacturing to construction to consultancy. Ireland has oceans of talent but without the resources and structure to support it, the talent remains oversees. I think that the Irish Government should work with the banks to ensure that we have some opportunity of being able to receive a mortgage without having years of payments. Most of us returning home will have some decent savings to put towards a mortgage, however even if both myself and my partner get full time jobs in Ireland when we get back and we have a sizeable deposit the banks may still decline us for a couple of years as there's no history of our payments. They should be made take into account our savings record in Australia. Given the state of the economy the focus needs to be on generating opportunities for the up and coming graduates and in turn will provide opportunities for returning migrants. Offer clear concise advice for returning citizens, assist them with the transition by issuing information on employment, housing etc. It doesn't appear that the Government is making it any easier for people to return, which is disappointing as we want to go home. Be aware of the amount of people returning with extensive skills and experience, and start to create the types of jobs that will bring people home. Ensure our taxation, social welfare entitlements and education entitlements are the same as residents. Not sure it's their role. More important business continues to thrive, to allow opportunity Fix issues like health insurance transfer, car no claims bonus recognition, welfare for returning people in the event of returning without being employed beforehand Establish a website encouraging people to return and advising of the benefits of living in Ireland both for families and retirees. I would be interested in being involved in this initiative. Easily accessible information on skills shortages for jobs in Ireland so people could focus on training and work experience in these areas whilst in Australia to assist in better employment opportunities when you return to Ireland Have a 'Return to Ireland' advisory service in Australia. Provide facilities for businesses located in Ireland to undertake video conference interviews. This would facilitate a job search from overseas. © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 10 Recommendations 1: The government must consider returning migrants in its short to medium term economic strategy and consider ways that it can help them return. Many highly educated and skilled Irish people work abroad. Their skills and experience gained working in different cultures will be valuable in creating the conditions for economic recovery. Returning migrants can be drivers of the continued recovery rather than just beneficiaries when the tide turns. 2: Government should increase support for initiatives and programs aimed at helping returning migrants to re-integrate back into Irish society. The IACC will pilot our first “Returning Migrants Program” in 2015/16 in conjunction with partners in Australia and Ireland to provide practical support in this arena. We would seek to have participation in this program recognised by the Department of Social Protection as supporting the satisfaction of Habitual Residency requirements. 3: Set-up a dedicated team within the group of Deciding Officers in the Department of Social Protection and the Health Service Executive who can better implement the operational guidelines to assist returning migrants, some of whom may present with incomplete paperwork, in a supportive manner. 4: Taxation policy should be used as a lever to encourage migrants to return home. Provide incentives and/or tax breaks to cover the cost: a) to employers of recruiting Irish people based abroad and; b) of relocation expenses for returning migrants 5: Provide tax exemptions to those who wish to return home to create new businesses in Ireland such as exempting income earned from Irish and overseas activities for a period of time (for example the €40,000 / 2 year threshold used in the Start Your Own Business scheme) or extending the scope of the SURE program. 6: Provide an accelerated write-down on assets purchased by businesses set-up by returning migrants for the first 3 years. 7: Provide a tax credit on earnings, in respect of savings used by returning migrants to cover relocation costs where social welfare is not claimed by the migrants. 8: University fees for children of returning migrants should be the same as those of residents and not subject to EU rates or time barring. This is emerging as a significant barrier to return for families where parents could be significant contributors to both national capability and the Revenue Commissioners. 9: The First Time Buyers’ access to 90% LTV should be available to returning migrants who have not on any previous occasion, either individually or jointly, purchased or built on his/her own behalf a house in Ireland. © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved 11 www.irishchamber.com.au #Diaspora Main Sponsors Corporate Partners © Copyright Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce Inc., All rights reserved