To absolutely despise Ireland?

[Barbielovesken]

I hate it. I hate absolutely everything about this country. All we do is work and work and for some good measure, work a bit more.

Any benefits to this? Absolutely none. We dont go anywhere or do anything and don't see each-other as when ones off the others working and vice versa. Just to keep our heads above water. To pay more and more and more taxes and take more and more pay cuts that we see absolutely nothing for.

It's relentless.

I am just 26 years of age and swear that the life has been sucked out of me by the hell hole that is this country. I hate it here and we can't leave - we're trapped here.

I don't know a single person who built their own home. I know some people must have, but I'm quite sure its not that many at all.

I know someone who bought a shitty house for ?400k, knocked it down and rebuilt. It was a crazy time. I just about remember the recession in the 80s and the sense of desperation but we came through.

I have to say I've only been to Ireland twice and was totally shocked by the cost of food in the supermarkets. Twice the price of stuff in England.

did you translate the currency and allow for higher wages though? Why wouldn't the prices be different to the UK, same as in France or Germany or anywhere else?

In a strange way this is a pretty inspiring thread. The idea of freedom is terrifying but extremely exciting

"If you want to blame the bankers, hand back all of the wage growth and prosperity you enjoyed during the boom years because they're the ones who created it."

Um, WTAF?

You think Irish bankers were responsible for wage growth?

Utter, utter bollocks.

Irish bankers weren't just greedy useless shites like the rest of them, they were also massively incompetent and deeply corrupt.

Ordinary Irish people were absolutely fucked by the politicians, developers and bankers.

People did vote for the party of corruption that brought about this disaster, but the shit that was going on in the banks was totally out of control, and Irish taxpayers should not be paying for it.

BarbieLovesKen Sorry to hear it's all so shit at the moment. Honestly, for many many people it's not any better here in the UK (bar free GP) :(

Try whatever you possibly can to scrape the money together to do the rest of your degree, I really think it's the key to getting out of your situation. Your Mum, other family, friends, selling stuff, loan, grant, weekend work for a while (when DH is home). I know you are both already working loads but 2.5 e isn't a lot when you think it could be the difference between sinking and swimming.

Good Luck
x

Oh and be careful what you do about the house. See if you can go 'interest only' if you aren't already, but I would imagine that bankrupting yourself wont do you any favours in the future if you want a career in law.

It's way better in the UK.

Really, there is no comparison between a functioning democracy in a recession and a country that is completely underwater that has no meaningful sovereignty.

MoreBeta is right - there is no way out of this disaster by obediently paying debts to make sure reckless German and French banks don't have to suffer the losses they should be.

I've lived in quite a few countries across several continents before coming back to Ireland and I'm sick to death of people who have never left the country for more than a holiday whining about how it's the worst country in the world. It's not, even now in the middle of a recession, it's not that bad. Most countries are having a hard time at the moment, all countries have shitholes in them as well as the nice areas, all countries have people going through a difficult time, most countries have a better media....

There is good and bad everywhere, nowhere is perfect, life is cyclical and you're going through a bad patch. It happens, you just have to get through with it. At least loads of people are sharing your bad patch, it would be far worse if everyone was doing well while you were going through hell.

YANBU. I have left the UK to live here and I'm finding it hard. I have now landed a job. The UK is nothing compared to Ireland. At least you can get work there. Work here is few and far between.Unless you live in Dublin where there is more variety!

OP can citizens advice be of any help to you? I hope things get better I really do.

Am suggesting same as Maryz, have a look at the new options available. My brother works in mortgage collections for one of the Irish banks and he says it will make a difference. The banks don't want to repossess, it costs them a fortune and he says the Irish judges don't want to grant repossession orders on family homes so t banks are agreeing tiny repayments as long as something is coming in. Their nightmare scenario is people like yourself en masse posting in the keys and leaving.

Life in Ireland is a lot tougher than the uk at the moment. I worry a lot about my family there and feel a bit depressed that moving back does not look like an option. But we are a tough resilent proud nationality and Ireland will recover.

I'd be concerned about the implications of bankruptcy if you hope to pursue a law career, I think you would need to look into that very carefully. I can imagine it could seem tempting though in the circumstances.
I'm in Ireland too and so far we've taken a big income hit along with everyone else but are ok mortgage wise but I know lots who are struggling too and whose businesses failed. Financial worries and not being able to see beyond them takes a toll and it's easy to lose perspective. This is a worldwide recession, that's hard to get away from, but Ireland does have special problems of course. There is a lot of negative comment about the economy in the media (not suggesting it's not accurate) and many a conversation echoes the same. I have found myself trying to minimise exposure to this. It can seem so overwhelming. It's so easy to feel it's a hopeless case. I try to think of what I love about the place and the people and their humour (even still). The cuts are savage and I wont pretend otherwise. I have a DS with special needs and have concerns re resources etc for him. A relative needs a respite place but the demand is huge and will worsen we expect.

On the issue of healthcare the programme for government does plan to bring in universal free GP access. (I'm not joking ! I work in the health sector) This process has already begun. Budget 2012 announced that people on the Long Term Illness Scheme will be eligible soon for free GP care. Primary legislation will have to be passed first. I have heard reports this could be in March. Next year the plan is to extend GP care to people on the High Tech Medicines scheme and so on until everyone is included in (I think) 2015. While of course this is not going to make a massive difference in the overall scheme of things it may just be of interest to people for whom these bills are a strain. I imagine realistically no-one is going to decide not to emigrate just because of this change. Also this may sound obvious but do keep your GP visit receipts you can claim on the Med 1 form for relief and receipts going back 4 years are allowable. The Drugs Payment Scheme is ?130 per month threshold per family - which is a lot for any family to fork out. You cant claim on Med 1 for meds covered on DPS though.
The one thing I am glad of is that despite all the cuts I still have faith in our education system. Yes I know it's not perfect and there are concerns and controversies but when I read posts here about the difficulties some people have in UK accessing a school I do tell myself to appreciate the fact of having had the choice of 6 very good schools in my area for DS (of course supports for SN vary when you get there but that's another story). At least we had a choice and most people I know of in different parts of the country say likewise. Sorry for the long post everyone's in bed and I have the laptop to myself for a change lost the run of myself.... goodnight!

To be honest, it sounds like you and your partner were trying to live beyond your means during the boom. Three kids and a house you own by the age of 26 is pretty crazy by most European standards. Most people across Europe have to save for years before they can afford their own home and family sizes in other European countries e.g. Germany are also much smaller than in Ireland.

Few people can afford 3 kids and a house they own at 26 so unless your DH is 10+ years older than you and in a very well-paid job, I don't see how you were ever being realistic to think you could live like that. That's why you're busting a gut working to pay your bills, taxes and can't afford medical care.

Sorry, but you had unrealistic expectations about life and now you're realizing the true cost of everything. Why should the state offer you free medical care because you chose to have a large family? Tough luck. Just work harder and plan your finances better in future.

Living in Ireland has nothing to do with it. You just need to learn to live within your means.

For those suggesting bankruptcy: a.) bankruptcy in Ireland lasts for 12 years so it's not an easy matter of 'posting the keys back' and walking away (although they are planning to reform the currently Victorian bankruptcy laws, last I heard) and b.) the OP was studying to be a lawyer so she wouldn't be able to practice with a bankruptcy charge over her head.

She made decisions and she has 3 children she is responsible for at the young age of 26. That's hard but sometimes in life you just have to take the consequences of your decisions on the chin. It's just adulthood / parenthood, I'm afraid.

Aw, this makes me really sad. Me, my DH and little ones have emigrated to Canada from Dublin (where I am from) 'cause of the bloody blasted recession and, though we're doing great here, I miss Ireland and am so sad about how shit things are there at the moment.

I can imagine how depressing it must be to be at your point now and am just old enough to remember the depressing 80s full of emigration (my next door neighbour had 6 kids who all moved away fora time) and then the amazing but ultimately rather deadly Celtic Tiger which saw some of the 80s emigrants returning and life was good...and now this.

napacab there is a way around this and for others living in Europe under stricter bankruptcy laws. If OP (and her husband) temporarily (but say have long-term interests of course) move to England/Wales, declare interests, rent a flat, etc., etc. They will be allowed to file in the UK under English law. This will mean that they will be discharged much sooner than the Irish 12 years.

Please don't quote me word for word on that OP, but it might be an option if you're really desperate, although I agree with others - Ireland is a wonderful country and its all cyclical.

As for the legal implications and perusing a degree in law, there certainly used to be no barrier between being bankrupt and practising.

NapaCab of course living in Ireland doesn't have nothing to do with it. Some of the issues OP has articulated quite clearly relate to the specific challenges of living there at the moment, and wouldn't necessarily be as bad everywhere. And actually, she does potentially have more options than just putting up with it.

Regarding bankruptcy- I think you have to declare it if you're applying to go on the roll as a solicitor in England and Wales. And the reference requirements are more stringent then, if I remember rightly. But if they have a procedure for bankrupts to practice, it can evidently be done.

Not sure how the new (not yet in I think) mortgage schemes would help you given that both you and your partner are working and can obv pay mortgage - though with difficulty. I wouldn't see how you'd fit into those new schemes who I think are more for people who've lost jobs and genuinely cannot meet mortgage.

As with other posters I'd be dubious about effect bankruptcy would have on your future careers - your husbands as well as yours..

I have a lot of sympathy for you but also have some sympathy for some of the views above - whatever decision you make in life - its your decision - the banks/politicicians or whoever didn't hold a gun to your head to make you buy a house, have a family whatever - you decided that. I think there's an awful lot of complete crap spoken in ireland at minute about how no one who bought a house in last ten years should be responsible for their decisions etc.

Yes its hard - but as many posters have said you've a house, family, jobs possibility of finishing your degree etc - so while I know your angry and p**d off things could be worse

Napacab-it may be that these days most young people in Europe have to wait until at least 30 to be able to settle down and buy a home etc, but that has only been the case very recently.

I am sure most of the people on her have parents who were married and settled by 22. I know I do.

You should be able to buy a house and have children(if that's your choice) if you are over 21 and working full time!

Maybe they did overspend, I don't know, but hey, so do governments, so give OP a break.

"on here"

They haven't actually changed anything really, its just being discussed, and plans agreed. But no legal changes that make a difference to personal bankruptcy.

I'm always shocked when I read how expensive medical care is in Ireland.
I always assumed there was a similar system there as in the UK.
What do people do when they just can't afford their medical bills? Is there some sort of system where you'll still get treated if you really can't afford it?
When I read stuff like this I realise just how lucky we are with the NHS, in spite of it's faults.