I draw the Taoiseach's attention to a matter of concern relating to our expatriates returning home, particularly in light of the recent campaign to encourage Irish construction workers overseas to return home amid the current labour shortage in the construction sector. Our citizens who have spent between five and 15 years abroad are encountering significant challenges accessing banking services, exchanging driver's licences, securing housing assistance, availing of childcare facilities and even procuring motor or health insurance. Last week, I was approached by a constituent who had spent 15 years in the UK and has secured a good job in her home town but is unable to open a bank account due to the absence of a utility bill in her name. She cannot reactivate her PPSN as her social services card is out of date with no online provision. She is finding renting accommodation an insurmountable problem. I am asking for the Government to commit to evaluate, monitor and eliminate these obstacles for Irish citizens to facilitate their smooth transition back home.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. A number of years ago, the Department of Foreign Affairs commissioned a report on this and set out a number of actions that can be taken to assist Irish people returning home. Roughly 30,000 Irish citizens come home every year - 90,000 in the past three years. In many cases, they have not been away for long and so it can be straightforward but where they have been away for a long time, it can be much more challenging, as is often the case in moving to another country. There are things that are under our control and we are working on them. Unfortunately, others are more complicated, particularly regarding banking records and so on. We are keen to assist our citizens to move back home should they wish to and they are returning home in very big numbers.