Moving to Ireland

[Bid876]

Hi, I’m looking for advice on moving to Ireland please x

Sorry this is long 🤦‍♀️

My husband starts a new job in a few weeks in a Dublin. We are currently in the UK. He is going to commute initially for a number of reasons but the main ones are that:

1 I don’t want to pull my 2 primary age children (6 & 8) out of school after missing 6 months already this year, I don’t think it will benefit them emotionally. We’ve also just got our 3yr old settled in a good preschool.
2 The job is in a Dublin but I know Dublin is expensive so we need time to find the right place to settle, 1 for cost & 2 schools. We have lived overseas before moving back to the UK with a 1 & 3yo, we moved 4 times in 18 months before we found the right location, I don’t want to repeat this, again it would not be fair on children and I don’t think I could do it again with 3 children in tow.
3 Two of the children are under the hospital for medical care. I’ve finally got an appointment with an allergy specialist at the end of the year for my 3yo after being rushed to hospital after having a severe allergic reaction. It’s taken me a yeR of fighting, so I’m not going anywhere until we get answers.
4 We have been told this week that the school is putting our 6yo forward for dyslexia testing, so I also want to see that through and not move schools while this is happening.

The advice I am looking for please is on:

1 good towns to live with a young family and plenty of activities, under normal circumstances the children do lots of activities, swimming, drama, gymnastics, football, brownies etc... Preferably No more than 1-1.5hrs from Dublin.
2 information on the school system please. I’ve heard mixed reviews on it, some say it’s better than the UK others say it’s far more formal and regimented (throwback to the 70s when children all sat facing a blackboard and chanted their times tables...) I know it’s very Catholic, that’s fine as we are Catholic (Even if we very rarely go 😬) and mainly single gender schools, but that’s all I know about it. I’d also like to hear from anyone who may have an insight into how dyslexia is handled in schools. I had a very bad experience with schools and my dyslexia when I was young, I don’t want my daughter going through that. I know UK schools have come in leaps and bounds from my day, I’d like to know if Irish schools have too please.
3 How the medical/healthcare system works. I also have medical issues and will be needing to find a Rheumatologist as soon as we move. In the UK we have to register with a GP in out catchment area, even proving we live there. Is this the same in Ireland or can you register with any GP surgery? I’d also be keen to understand how the payment system for medical care works, costs involved for GP, hospital visits etc...

Sorry for the long thread.

Thanks xxx

Op I suggest you have this moved to craicnet.

A stressful time for you settling children with health issues and trying to find schools. Although I can’t recommend towns , I hopefully can reassure you about the school system. I have been a teacher in both systems. There is more in-school support for children with literacy difficulties in Ireland (in my experience) because of the way the school system is set up. All schools have a SEN teacher. The most recent international PISA rankings for literacy rank Ireland highly for literacy (top 5 I think?). I think the major difference your children will face is more homework, longer summer holidays and your 6&8 year olds will be studying Irish (Gaeilge) as a subject everyday.
You would be advised to take out health insurance. As a papery is have found it much easier to access consultants and specialists for my DC as we pay for doctor and consultant visits. There are long waiting lists in the public system.
I’m wondering how your DH will manage the quarantine rules into Ireland if he is commuting?

Best of luck.

Also wondering how your husband will quarantine for 14 days each time if he's commuting

Primary schools are excellent in Ireland. I'm from the UK but live in Dublin, my DC go to school here. It's much more child centred.

If you want to be close to Dublin, and get some reasonable value, Rush is lovely. North County Dublin is generally cheaper than the South, with good commuter train links. Rush is a small and charming seaside area with beautiful beaches and good schools.

Ireland is wonderful! Very relaxed, open minded and stunning mountain/countryside walks. So much to do with children, simple things but we're never bored!

Medical system also great. I'd be getting private insurance, I'd say your partner may get it through work. Under 6s get a medical card anyway. But inform yourself, call VHI ans explai your circumstances etc. Simply register with a local GP, you'll find one whose books are open to new patients. And there are no three week waits/not getting through on the phone issues.

Ps look into schools early too. Many are mixed sex, tbh. I didn't consider single sex. Ireland is a wonderful place to raise children!

@IWouldLikeToKnow he won’t need to work in an office straight away, but it he has to be based in Ireland so he’s going to get a small apartment to work from. The company will provide initial accommodation until he gets one so quarantine won’t be an issue.

@Boscoismyspiritanimal thank you. Finding the right school is my main concern for me. I’m happy about them learning Irish, both my parents were Irish but left Ireland as children and lost their ability to speak it. My 6yo thinks she can all ready speak it because my DH told her saying fiddlydeepotatioes is Irish 🤦‍♀️

DH has just told me he has health insurance which covers us all so that’s a relief x

DH won’t need to work in an office initially, the company will put him up in corporate housing while he tries to find accommodation to work from, so he will initially rent a studio or small apartment to work from.

I still don’t see how he will comply with quarantine rules tho unless he will stay in Ireland - in his flat not going out at all for groceries Etc etc - for 14 days each time. He can’t go back to the airport on a Friday if he just flew over on the Monday ....

@Livingmagicallyagain thank you. DH told me today we are covered under his medical insurance 👍. I have 3 girls so I don’t mind same sex schools but just as happy with mixed. I’ve been looking at Rush, it looks very nice, just what we are looking for. Do you have any advice on good & bad areas to live there?

@HaggisBurger that’s exactly what he’s going to do. The company he is working for are going to help him with what he needs.

Rush is pretty small. Look close to the beach!

Medical system also great

That is a statement I have NEVER seen before referring to the Irish health system.

@Livingmagicallyagain

Medical system also great. I'd be getting private insurance, I'd say your partner may get it through work. Under 6s get a medical card anyway. But inform yourself, call VHI ans explai your circumstances etc. Simply register with a local GP, you'll find one whose books are open to new patients. And there are no three week waits/not getting through on the phone issues.

Ps look into schools early too. Many are mixed sex, tbh. I didn't consider single sex. Ireland is a wonderful place to raise children!

Sorry to say, although once in the system, it is fine, if not it's not that simple.

My bastardddddd GP retired and never told anyone. We pay here unless we have the free Medical Card thing.

So here I am six months later. No GP, the lists are closed due to Covid.

I am not a happy bunny. But have sourced walk in centres and my private health insurance will help.

[quote Bid876]@HaggisBurger that’s exactly what he’s going to do. The company he is working for are going to help him with what he needs.[/quote]
That makes no sense. He has to quarantine here for 2 weeks - not going to an office or workspace - which basically means he cannot go to work here which means he might as well stay in the UK and work from home there.

Compared to the state the NHS has become, medical care in Ireland is way better. Can see a GP within 48 hours at most rather than the 6 week wait my English GP ran with.

Schools are good too, but very full so start calling round once you pick a town. You don't need a local address like in the UK.

Great assured schools are very good. I taught in UK for 15 years and now in Ireland for 5 years. Schools here are overall better, absolutely not like the 70s. Places north of Dublin that are reasonable priced and pleasant, Rush, Lusk and Skerries. All seaside areas. Lots of Educate Together schools in these areas which are multi denominational . Good luck with the move.

That’s what I thought too @3timeslucky - makes no sense to me for either OP’s husband or his business (a huge cost but they still have to talk to him online???) And utterly miserable. But hey ho.

@HaggisBurger ideally we’d like him to work from here but he has to be in Ireland to start the job, get all his equipment and register for tax etc... Under normal circumstances he’d do mon-fri and come home but these aren’t normal circumstances and we just have to manage it as best we can, otherwise it was we all pack up and move to Ireland within 4 weeks which again is not ideal or particle. Right now this is our best option and we have to manage it as best we can. Once he’s started and knows exactly what is required of him we can work out how we will manage the commuting going forward. Dose that make sense?

Hi op I would also recommend you looking at educate together schools. Lots of people who work live in Wexford in the Gorey town area and surrounding areas.

Gotcha OP. Longer term - how is he planning on getting into Dublin if you are living 1-1.5hr Will he drive? Apart from the Luan which I think you’d want to know what part of the City he’ll be based in and work from there. Commuting by train isn’t like in the UK. It’s pretty limited in terms of timetable and coverage.
If south of Dublin is an option I’d look at Kildare or (nicer) Wicklow. Dun Laoighaire offers better value than say Bray all down that south coast section. It’s lovely there and you have the Wicklow mountains and Glendalough nearby for days out, hiking etc.

North County Dublin towns are within easy reach of the airport if that matters to you. If you are looking for coastal areas I'd suggest looking at Skerries in particular. It is a lovely small town with good schools and it's not over-developed either. Rush has been mentioned already. Donabate and Portrane are both nice coastal villages also worth looking at also.

@HaggisBurger not sure yet, public transport, driving, motorcycle...Again, we will decide what’s best when we’ve managed to pinpoint a location. Commuting isn’t a problem for us, we’ve both done long commutes for work, his last job was over an hours commute on a good day. We’ve lived overseas where public transport is far worse than the uk or Ireland so we aren’t too worried about that. I do like the look of Wicklow and surrounding areas.

There aren't decent train services into Dublin depending where the job is based if there is a commute then from the train station. It really depends if it is north or Southside.
Rents are still very expensive within 1 hour from Dublin.
Most schools are very good, most areas have brownies G.A.A football. You pay for everything here, after school clubs €5/6 a class, school books stationary, gp a&e visits, unfortunately there is very little if you can't afford it.
Not sure about community pools in different areas.
Where is his job based?

Sorry meaning there is a Decent Train service

Feel free to pm me with any questions op I'm in co Wexford with school/ college going kids and dh works in Dublin/Wicklow and knows the area like the back of his hand ! can help with any questions

Thanks everyone. DH will be heading over in 2 weeks, he will be staying past his quarantine period so he can start checking areas out. I’ve given him a long list to keep him busy 😂