Some returning citizens are facing an uphill battle when it comes to re-establishing themselves in Ireland. Those living abroad for up to five to ten or 15 years, likely as a result of the Celtic tiger economic crash, have reported difficulties setting up bank or credit union accounts, getting housing assistance, access to schools and college places, or even obtaining car or health insurance. Trying to start a business is also compounded by these difficulties. We need to appreciate the thousands of returning citizens and provide a one-stop shop with a range of services for returning Irish. I ask the Government to commit to assessing, monitoring, and removing barriers for returning Irish citizens and address their needs to ease their return and resettlement.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Last year alone, 30,000 Irish citizens came home. As is the nature of migration, a lot of people go abroad but a lot of people come back. At least for the past three years, more Irish citizens have returned than have left. I am not sure that will be the case this year but tens of thousands of people come home every year and they run into some real difficulties, whether it is in getting insurance, finding housing if they do not have it already, setting up bank accounts and all of those things. The Department of Foreign Affairs has done a report on this already and is looking at ways we can assist people so that when somebody comes back to live in Ireland, their experience is better than it has been to date.