is their homework in ireland

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President of Ireland calls on schools to stop giving pupils homework

Children should be able to use time at home ‘for other creative things’, says michael d higgins, article bookmarked.

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Schools should strive not to give pupils homework where possible, the president of Ireland has suggested.

In an utterance likely to be seized upon by children for years to come, in classrooms far beyond the shores of the Emerald Isle, Michael D Higgins argued that school should not extend beyond the final bell.

“Time in school … should get finished in school,” the president told pupils at a school in County Tipperary this week during a broadcast for RTE.

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Students and parents plead case for homework ban

School children and parents pleaded with the Minister for Education Norma Foley to step in and introduce a homework ban.

In letters to the minister, kids wrote about how they were being forced to give up hobbies because they were given so much work to do after school.

The correspondence followed comments by President Michael D Higgins in January that a ban on homework should be considered.

In one letter, a school child wrote about how seven hours of school each day was “plenty of education” and that more work on top was unnecessary.

“I do not ask for homework to be completely banned but for it to be reduced to a certain limit. Otherwise, if there is a constant build-up of homework daily, it can cause stress and even a lack of exercise which will affect a person’s well-being.”

Another said they felt homework was a “waste of time” and that a ban should be introduced.

They wrote: “Kids should be doing more creative things with their time after school. Many kids have had to stop doing hobbies they have because of it.

“It is a burden to parents, kids, and teachers [and] so for the above reasons, I think you should BAN HOMEWORK!”

Homework annoys teachers

One hand-written letter, decorated with a Minnie Mouse bow, said homework was “annoying for teachers and pupils”.

“I play soccer and love writing stories, but because of homework, I have no time for doing these things. For teachers, it gives them more copies to correct and they have to go through the trouble of deciding what [homework] to give.”

A secondary school student said that if “sleeping isn’t for school” then “work isn’t for home”.

They explained how they did between one and two hours of homework every evening after school and sometimes more.

“When I would finish, there would be barely any time for me to relax before I had to go to bed to get enough sleep to get up in the morning,” said their letter.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, our president Michael D Higgins also thinks that homework should be banned so if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to our President.”

Another suggested there could at least be a compromise so that students would not be given homework for over the weekend.

“[This would relieve] students of mental stress,” they said.

Help parents

One young student said they were left with no time to help their parents, or to learn how to cook or do other activities around the house.

They said: “We all do activities like swimming, dance, and all other sports. It’s hard work and it’s stressful and it’s unfair.”

A single parent also wrote in to explain how one of their children was getting two hours of written homework every day.

They said: “We need time to teach them life skills such as sewing, cooking, how to work the washing machine, change their own bed sheets and personal care.

“These teachings are very hard for parents with zero [time] left in the evenings. There is no time for them to spend with siblings and parents because they are so tired.”

In responses, the Department of Education told the letter writers that homework policy was not within its powers.

In emails, they said: “The Department does not issue direct guidelines relating to homework being given in schools. It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy.

“In keeping with good practice, the process of drafting a homework policy should involve consultation with teachers, parents, and students.

“However, the Department does acknowledge that homework can play an important part in helping pupils prepare for forthcoming class work and in reinforcing work already covered during class time.”

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What's the right amount of homework?

IS IT a bore for the kids, another layer of labour for frazzled mums — or a crucial route to academic success?

Children’s homework and the time it takes are problems for parents — homework is described as the “thorniest issue” at primary school, by a representative of the Irish National Teachers’ organisation.

Most schools have a homework policy, because parents are puzzled. One primary school, in Kildare, runs homework information meetings for parents, at their request, while one second-level school clarifies what’s expected of first years. When Jen Maher’s eldest, Olive, started at second level, Jen joined the Parents’ Council to become familiar with the homework system. Olive is now in transition year at Colaiste na Toirbhirte in Bandon, and her youngest sister, Alice, is in first year. Jen says a responsible attitude to homework is crucial. Her children are expected to be conscientious.

“It’s a leap from primary school to first year, with all the extra subjects and teachers and that can be difficult,” Jen says. Alice spends one to one-and-a-half hours on her homework, while, in Junior Cert, Olive “did three or more hours a night. I’m happy with what they’re doing,” Jen says. “I never went rooting to see what homework they had, but they knew they were expected to be responsible about it.”

By second-level, many students are less open about their lives, so it’s a good idea to join a network of other parents. “I joined the Parents’ Council to see how things operated,” says Maher. “I found it was a great help, because there were parents there whose children were ahead of mine in the school system, and that was a godsend.”

Carolyn O’Flaherty, deputy principal at the 540-pupil school, holds special information meetings. “Sometimes, parents would have queries about how much homework their children should be doing and how they should be doing it. We tend to be very conscious that it’s very different for first years coming from the primary school system. They could have between 10 to 12 different teachers here, and there may be anxiety around what different teachers expect of homework,” she says.

For the first few weeks of term, the teachers start the homework in class to familiarise students: “After a while, the first years work independently. We would, generally, feel they should have between one and one-and-a-half hours per night at first year. We emphasise the use of the journal, in organising homework, and stress to parents how important it is that they go through the journal and check on the homework — this facilitates communication between parent and student on homework.”

Second-years are expected to do between one-and-a-half to two hours, and Junior Certs two to three hours. In fifth and sixth year, three to four hours a night is the norm, she says. The quality of the homework is more important than the length of time it takes.

Students should not do homework in front of the TV or with a mobile phone nearby. “Homework develops good habits of the mind, takes the stress out of exams, is very good discipline and facilitates independent learning,” Ms O’Flaherty says.

In the evenings, second level students should go back over material they covered in class that day — even if they have been allocated no homework, says Bernie Judge, education officer with the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland.

Parents should not accept the excuse that their child doesn’t need to study because they have no tests coming up. “Consistent application is necessary. Don’t accept that they’re not getting any homework. If they have no writing to do, they should be going over notes,” she says.

Children should leave phones downstairs while they are studying upstairs. But the bedroom is not always the best place for study — it’s private and they may not be doing the work they claim to be doing.

Last September, a homework journal was introduced for the 340 pupils of headmistress Breda Fay’s school, Scoil Choca Naofa, in Kilcock. The school now also runs ‘homework information mornings’ for parents. A homework club has also been established. The journal shows parents what homework has been allocated and how long the child is taking to do it — thus facilitating a conversation with the teacher should homework need to be adjusted.

Fay says the majority of parents were happy with the time their children spent on homework — 10 minutes of paired reading or colouring at junior infant and senior infant level, 20 minutes in first class, half an hour in third and fourth class, and under 45 minutes in fifth and sixth class.

Homework is not a major issue in the Fitzgerald household, in Killahin, near Tralee, in Co Kerry, where mum Geraldine expects her daughters Linda (12) and Shauna (7) to do their best, but is relaxed: “I’m very lucky, because the girls go to a country school with only 30 pupils and they get great attention. The majority of their work is done at school,” she says, though Linda does an hour’s homework every night and Shauna does half an hour.

“They sit in the kitchen doing their homework, while I make the dinner. I’m very relaxed, I don’t push them, I tell them to do their best, but that, at the end of the day, there’s more to life than homework.

“I know of parents in other schools who spend two hours, or more, doing homework with primary level students — I think that’s way too much.”

If you’re worried that your child is not doing his or her homework or is not able for it, says Peter Mullan, of the INTO, contact the school. “Homework is one of the thorniest issues at primary level — it’s added stress and can be time-sapping. It can be resented by children and parents, so it’s very worthwhile for people to understand the value of it,” he says. Research shows that children who get maths homework three or four times a week score higher than children who don’t.

DON’T BE TOO FUSSY

Research has shown a positive relationship between homework and achievements, says Professor Kathy Hall, Professor of Education at UCC. “Time spent on homework yields results,” she says, cautioning homework should be relevant; ideally done independently and without parental support.

Hall believes the primary school years are a golden opportunity to help children develop good study habits. Regular homework is an excellent way to develop self-discipline, time management and a sense of responsibility towards work and study, she says.

If, however, homework takes away from personal time or family well-being, it generates a lot of anxiety, she warns: “Homework should be at a level of easy difficulty, it should not be about being stuck.”

Check your child’s homework journal and attend parent-teacher meetings, she counsels — but parents should avoid a rigid or regimented approach to homework or over-emphasis on perfection.

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'Why I believe homework should be banned', by one primary school student

As the discussion around state exams through the Covid-19 shutdown continues, a separate debate about the very need for homework itself rumbles on. Over the years, many have argued that homework for students in busy modern-day family structures is no longer workable.

This year, the Green Party sought to open a discussion about the banning of homework in future. Here, primary school pupil Misha McEnaney, a fifth class student from Dublin, outlines why he believes homework is more of a hindrance than a help.

IRISH CHILDREN SPEND around 274.5 hours on homework in a year. Is it a waste of time? Generally speaking, homework does not improve academic performance among children, although it may improve academic skills among older students especially lower-achieving kids. Homework also creates stress among students who could be doing other things.

I think it is a waste of time. Here’s why I think so. 

Many students think homework is extremely boring and hard so it increases our stress levels. You might fight with your family or friends and that gives the impression you are angry and irritated when often it’s just because your homework is increasing your stress.

Also, a study by scholar Denise Pope at Stanford shows that out of 4,300 students at high-performance schools, 60% stated that their homework was their primary source of stress.

Movement is more important

I believe that homework eliminates time when you could be exercising, playing sports, carrying out hobbies, reading etc. So when your friends are playing outside or something exciting or important is happening you can’t go out because you’re stuck inside doing your homework. 

Homework messes up your sleep cycles and it causes you to be more tired. After school when you’re tired from working you still have to do your homework, so you don’t deliver your full concentration and that makes your performance not as acceptable as it should be. This can cause your grade to go down and so that defeats the whole point of education to become better and smarter. 

A study from teenink.com shows that students perform best in school when they receive 10–12 hours of sleep each night, while only 15% of teenagers in America reported themselves sleeping eight hours or more on school nights, according to the national sleep foundation of America. Sleep disruption is very bad for our health.

Teacher trust

If you’re completely booked up for the day doing sports or other activities you have no time to do your homework. Your teachers start to trust you less and less and this develops a bad view of you when it’s not entirely your fault. 

It’s also repetitive so you’re doing the same work at school and there’s no effectiveness, it’s not going in. So all that homework becomes a waste because you have already completed it at school. You can also easily get distracted.

Homework takes away revision time for tests and that can affect the test scores. That develops a bad reputation for the student and for the school. The parents then assume that the teaching at the school is bad and they might move school. So the kid might lose friends and over time the school becomes less liked and popular.

All because there is too much homework. 

Bad for the mood

If you don’t sleep enough it can cause mood swings which can affect students’ performance and relationships. To think we can stop all of this by just banning homework makes me wonder why schools still give out homework at all.

People who believe that homework should not be banned have reasonable points and arguments. They believe that doing homework at home can be better for the students and they would receive higher results. 

They also think the parents of the students will have an idea of what type of work they are doing in the classroom, at what scale the student is doing their work and how the student is doing that work. There is absolutely no reason why parents shouldn’t know what the student’s work is like. 

Some people believe that homework boosts interaction between a student and his or her teacher. Homework might develop their presentation skills. They believe that homework is “a remedy against weaknesses”. These can all be done at school. They believe it teaches the students responsibility because they have to make sure that they do their work and not lose it or destroy it. 

They think the students learn much more new information as well as in school. So people think it teaches the students important life skills. They also think it keeps the students busy and entertained. I would argue that these should all be the responsibility of parents, not school.

A shift in the debate

The Green Party in Ireland has promised to explore the banning of homework for primary school children. They also vow to review primary and secondary schools curriculum “to meet the needs of the 21st century”. Catherine Martin, deputy leader of the Green Party, said that “the phasing out of homework is something that definitely should be explored”. 

“This isn’t new, this has been on our policy for the past several years. And I think we really need to have a conversation on how best to develop the creative juices of our children, or really change how we do homework, homework could be, ‘go home and draw a picture of something that means a lot to you’,” she said.

“They’re so young, especially up to the age of seven or eight, it’s a conversation that we need to have”. 

She used the example of Loreto Primary School in Rathfarnham, Dublin, which is currently trialling a “no-homework” programme for all classes except sixth. Ms Martin said that they had found the pilot scheme “amazing” and children were spending a lot more time with their families as a result. 

Mental health considerations

Psychotherapist Mary McHugh believes that we are reducing children’s natural “curious, imaginative and creative” tendencies by “pressuring them to conform”. 

“Our children from the age of three, are being trained to sit still and from five upwards, it’s expected that this is the norm.” McHugh also says that “stress is showing up at an alarming scale and we’re still applying more pressure academically younger and younger”. 

Let’s look at Finland. In Finland, there is no homework in all schools. Finland agrees that there should be no homework because it increases stress, it wastes time etc. Finnish students regularly top the charts on global education metric systems.

Some 93% of Finnish students graduate from secondary school compared to 75% in the USA and 78% in Canada. About two in every three students in Finland go to college which is the highest rate in Europe. The students’ test scores dominate everyone else.  These are the scores for the PISA test (Program for International Student Assessment) 2006.  There are other reasons why Finland’s education system is so good but no homework is definitely an important one. 

Homework increases stress levels among students. It replaces time for hobbies and sports. It messes up your sleep. It can’t always be done and that causes trouble. It’s repetitive. You can develop health problems from lack of sleep.

It takes away time for studying and also when you don’t get enough sleep you can get mood swings and that can affect performance and relationships. There are reasonable arguments for why people who believe that homework shouldn’t be banned are wrong.

We have seen that the Green Party also thinks that homework should be banned and that some schools have already trialled it. We have looked at Finland banning homework and we have seen the impact it has made compared to other countries. This is why I think homework should be banned, not just in my school but in all schools. 

Misha McEnaney is a fifth class student at St Mary’s College, Rathmines, Dublin.

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14th Mar 2023

Pupils and parents call on government to introduce homework ban

Kat O'Connor

Is it time to ban homework in Ireland?

Parents and pupils are calling on Minister for Education Norma Foley to ban homework in Ireland.

Many parents have voiced their concerns about the level of homework their kids get, but they’re taking it a step further by writing to the Education Minister.

Foley has received multiple letters from both children and parents about why a homework ban is needed.

According to The Irish Examiner , children revealed that homework is having a negative impact on their lives outside of school.

Many pupils believe they do enough work in school and stressed that there is little benefit to spending hours doing homework in the evenings.

One child wrote;

“I do not ask for homework to be completely banned but for it to be reduced to a certain limit. Otherwise, if there is a constant build-up of homework daily, it can cause stress and even a lack of exercise which will affect a person’s well-being.”

Many children told Foley that homework was “a waste of time”. Others said it was a “burden to parents, kids, and teachers.”

Varadkar said homework should not be banned completely

Both Leo Varadkar and Michael D. Higgins have expressed concerns about the amount of homework children are getting in Ireland.

However, Varadkar does not believe in a complete ban on homework.

He previously said there’s a place for homework in our education system, but we need to have a fair balance.

“You could have a long day in class, get home in the early evening, and then face, you know, three hours of homework.

“I remember that when I was a kid, staying up very late to do homework,” he shared.

Varadkar stressed that it shouldn’t be banned completely, but scaled back.

President Higgins also voiced his concerns about homework

The President of Ireland agreed with parents and said children should have more free time after school.

He told RTÉ’s news2day: “I think myself, really that the time at home and the time in school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”

Do you think homework should be banned in Ireland?

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Parents call for homework to be banned in ireland, varadkar agrees that children are getting too much homework, foley responds to homework ban calls and parents are furious, related articles.

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New research shows children in Ireland spend third longest on homework worldwide

Studious teens spend almost eight hours EVERY week slaving over their books

• 13:17, 19 FEB 2015
• Updated 13:54, 19 FEB 2015

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Attention parents - next time your teen begs for a study break they might really need it.

New research suggests that children in Ireland are the third hardest working in world when it comes to their studies.

New analysis of OECD education data by mapper Omar Sarhan shows that Irish students spend an average of 7.31 hours on their homework every week.

Russia tops the list, where teens toil for 9.75 hours per week on their studies, followed by Italian students, who spend 8.73 hours per week on homework.

Polish schoolgoers are fourth, spending an average of 6.6 hours per week on homework, followed by Spanish students who devote 6.5 hours to their studies every seven days.

Hungary is next (6.22 hours) followed by the US (6.09 hours), Australia (6.04 hours), the Netherlands (5.84) hours and Thailand (5.59 hours).

At the other end of the scale, Finnish teens come out as world's laziest students -spending just 2.78 hours a week on homework.

Korea is next (2.87 hours) followed by the Czech Republic (3.14 hours), the Slovak Republic (3.23 hours) and Brazil (3.32 hours)

But don't give them free reign of the X-box just yet - the 2012 data also shows that Irish kids spent 24.6 minutes less on homework per week than they did a decade earlier in 2003.

Are kids in Ireland spending too much time on homework?

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Your child and school - faqs.

Here you can find out answers to questions you might have about your child and school.

A split class is one where two or more levels are taught together (e.g. 3rd class and 4th class) by the same teacher in the same classroom. This may be necessary in a smaller school where pupil numbers don't allow for separate classes at all levels or in a larger school where the intake might fluctuate. The Principal is responsible for the allocation of teachers to classes. ESRI research (2014) which used data on 8,568 nine-year-old children from the Growing Up in Ireland study showed that children in a split class “did not perform any better nor any worse than children in single-grade classes”. It is believed that older children benefit by having the work they covered in the previous year reinforced and the younger children experience a broader spectrum of information, allowing many of them to advance. The Principal has to decide what is the best way to split the classes, where necessary, and in some cases it is by age, some alphabetically. In some cases the children may be given an opportunity to pick one or two friends that they would like to be in the same class. The parents association may also have a role to play in exploring the social impact of a split class on the children. The best thing to do is to talk to the Principal and he/she will be able to explain why they had to split the class and which system they used to decide on which children go into which class.

The Special Education Teaching allocation model provides that all schools will have a basic allocation to assist pupils who have learning and literacy difficulties, including those arising from English as an Additional Language (EAL) needs. Additional support is available for schools with high concentrations of pupils that require language support.

A Learning Support Teacher service is available to all primary schools and the Department of Education and Science has produced Learning Support Guidelines. These guidelines explain the aims and activities of learning support programmes. They include the procedures for identifying and selecting children who might be having difficulty with their school work curriculum and who need supplemental teaching. It is the learning support teachers who provide this extra teaching. Children who continue to have difficulty coping with their school work, can be psychologically assessed by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and may be eligible for Resource Teacher support.

No, the children are entitled to the full curriculum which includes a minimum of one hour per week of PE.

No teacher can be required to administer medicine or drugs to a pupil.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) advise that the parent(s) of the pupil concerned should write to the school's board of management requesting the board to authorise a member of the teaching staff to administer the medication.

The request should also contain written instructions of the procedure to be followed in administering the medication. The board of management, having considered the matter, may authorise a teacher to administer medication to a pupil.

If the teacher is so authorised she/he should be properly instructed by the board of management. A teacher should not administer medication without the specific authorisation of the board.

In administering medication to pupils, teachers should exercise the standard of care of a reasonable and prudent parent.

The board of management should inform the schools insurers accordingly.

The board of management should seek an indemnity from the parents in respect of any liability that may arise regarding the administration of the medication.

It is important that boards of management request parents to ensure that teachers be made aware in writing of any medical condition suffered by any children in their class.

Children who have epilepsy, diabetes, or are prone to anaphylactic shock syndrome may have an incidence attack at any time and it is vital therefore to identify the symptoms in order that treatment can be given by an appropriate person if necessary.

The first thing you should do is speak to the child's teacher. If you think it is something which could be solved in a few minutes you should speak to the teacher either at the beginning or end of the school day. If it would take a little longer you should ask for an appointment with the teacher and outline the nature of the problem if possible. When you meet the teacher explain the problem as clearly and calmly as possible. Be prepared to work with the teacher and your child to resolve the problem. If the problem cannot be resolved at this level, the next step is to involve the Principal. You should make an appointment and bring with you any paperwork which may be relevant. If the problem remains unresolved the next step is to contact the Board of Management of the school.

More detailed information about any concerns you might have about bullying or child protection can be found at this link https://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Information/Complaints-Bullying-Child-Protection-Discrimination/

If you need any help with this please call the NPC Helpline Tel: 01 8874477 or email: [email protected]

The first thing you should do is speak to your child's teacher. Quite often a teacher can deal with this in the classroom and the problem can be resolved there and then. If the problem persists you should ask for a copy of the school's anti-bullying policy and check if it is being followed. If it is not being followed you should follow the procedure as outlined above in Q6. As a family you can support your child by listening to them and letting them know that you are on their side. You should reassure them that they haven't done anything wrong and that you will do all you can to make the bullying stop. You should also do all you can to build up their self esteem whether that's by encouraging activities they are involved in, or introducing them to other groups of children etc. Click here for the NPC leaflet on Bullying, click here to go to the Department of Education and Skills Anti Bullying Procedures for primary and post primary schools

Irish is an integral part of the curriculum in all primary schools. There are some exceptional circumstances where a child may be exempted from studying Irish.

Exempting a pupil from the study of Irish should be considered only in exceptional circumstances. The decision to exempt a pupil from the study of Irish is an important decision that has implications for his/her access to the curriculum and his/her future learning. The decision to grant an exemption from the study of Irish is made by the principal teacher, but it must be made following detailed discussion with the pupil’s parent(s)/guardian(s), the class teacher, special education teachers, and the pupil.

The only exceptional circumstances in which a school may consider granting an exemption from the study of Irish are set out in Section 2.2 of Circular 0054/2022  in the case of primary schools and in Section 2.2 of Circular 0055/2022  for post - primary schools.

In certain circumstances that are outlined in the circular an exemption may be granted to:

• A student, aged at least 12, moving from abroad without previous experience of learning the Irish language or a student who have completed their primary education abroad.
• A student who experiences significant literacy difficulties which are an obstacle to their learning across the curriculum.
• A student who experiences a high level of multiple and persistent needs that are a significant barrier to the student’s participation and engagement in their learning and school life.
• A student in a recognised special school or class or who was previously enrolled in a recognised special school or class or who has a recommendation and has been deemed eligible for a place in a recognised special school and/or in a special class in a mainstream school.
• A student whose parent(s)/guardian(s) is a/are diplomatic or consular representative(s) of another country to Ireland irrespective of age or educational history It is recommended that the parent(s)/guardian(s) discuss with the school whether the school believes that there is sufficient evidence to support an application for an exemption from the study of Irish.

It is the Department’s policy that all students (including those granted an exemption) are provided with opportunities to participate in Irish language and cultural activities at a level appropriate to their learning needs, to the greatest extent possible, and in a meaningful way

Yes. If you are not satisfied with the decision made by the school to refuse your application, then it is open to you to make an appeal. You should complete the Irish Exemption Appeal Form on the Department’s website and return it to the Department of Education within 30 calendar days from the date you were notified of the decision of the school not to grant an exemption.

There is no need to send in any other documentation as the department will be contacting the school to request the documentation that was used in the decision to refuse the exemption.

An Irish Exemption Appeal form can be submitted by e-mail to: [email protected] or by post to Schools Financial and Database Section, Department of Education, Cornamaddy, Athlone, Co.  Westmeath, N37 X659

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) have lots of information about the various subjects at all levels. Click here to get detailed information on their website about each of the subject areas.

The curriculum refers to the programme of study your child will follow through their primary school years. It is presented in seven areas, some of which are further subdivided into subjects. The development of curriculum for Religious education remains the responsibility of the different church authorities. However, the Minister for Education and Skills has asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to develop a religion and ethics programme for schools. Click here for further information on the Education about Religion and Beliefs (ERB) and Ethics curriculum. Click here for information on all of the curricular areas.

This is a document which outlines the behaviour expected of all members of the school community. It should be prepared in consultation with all members of the school community including pupils and parents. It should be available to all parents and you may be asked to sign it when your child starts school. Corporal or physical punishment is illegal in Irish schools. Click here to find out more about Developing a School's Code of Behaviour.

Schools set their own policy in relation to homework. For example, in some schools children from first to sixth class are given homework each week night. Other schools give a small amount of reading or maths to infant classes. If your child does get homework, you should give them space and encouragement to do it. If they need it, offer your help. Take time to talk with your child about what they do in school each day. Set aside a quiet time where your child is sitting comfortably at a table and will not be distracted by television or other noise. Homework time should include time for oral as well as written work. Oral work - speaking and repeating what they have learned - is particularly helpful in the early years. Encourage your child to keep their text books and exercise books clean and tidy. If your child is working on their own, be available to help and show an interest in what they're doing. Praise your child's efforts whenever you can. Try to be patient with your child. If your child is having ongoing problems with homework discuss this with the teacher. If your child can't do their homework for any reason, let the teacher know. Write a short note explaining why or arrange a meeting with the teacher. Click here to download the NPC Homework leaflet

The amount of homework and the time to be allocated to it are key features of the school's homework policy. Parents need to be fully familiar with this policy, so as to manage the time allocated at home by the child. It is important that the target time for homework for their child's class is known to parents. They can then intervene if the child takes a significantly longer time to complete the tasks set, and can alert the teacher to the difficulties being encountered.

Click here to download the NPC Homework leaflet.

It is very important for your child to have good home-school communication. Parents are the primary educators of their children and their co-operation and support are essential to the school. In some schools Home-School community Liaison Officers are appointed from among the teaching staff to encourage parents to participate more fully in their children's education and to become more involved in the life of the school. This scheme is restricted to a small number of schools. Click here for further information on the HSCL scheme.

Primary schools in Ireland are funded on the basis of a Capitation Grant Scheme which is decided in the Budget by the Government every year. That means the school's Board of Management gets a certain amount of money allocated for each child that they have enrolled in the school. This money is used to pay all expenses, such as electricity, oil, insurance, telephone, etc. As costs rise, this is often not enough to cover all the costs. Some schools ask parents for a voluntary contribution to help towards these costs. This of course has to be on a voluntary basis and you are under no obligation to pay it. No child or family should be named or shamed for not contributing.

In each school year there will be one formal parent/teacher meeting held in each primary school. This will usually take place at the end of the school day and the school will close 15 minutes early to facilitate this. The school will let you know the date and time of the meeting. This is an important meeting and you should do your best to attend. At the meeting you can see examples of your child's work and discuss your child's progress with the class teacher. Going to these meetings also shows your child that you are interested in how they are doing. If you are concerned about your child's progress at any stage during the year, you can arrange to speak to the class teacher. If you cannot attend the formal parent/teacher meeting then you should let the teacher know and you should be offered a suitable and convenient alternative. Click here to read the Department of Education and Science Circular PC 14/04: Arrangements for Parent/Teacher and Staff meetings.

Schools generally communicate with parents by sending notes home with the child. These notes can be written in the child's homework diary or printed on a separate sheet. You should check your child's school bag each day for notes.

Under the Education Act, 1998 the school must provide reports for each child. The school must allow parents to have access to their child's school record. The school should have a procedure to keep parents informed about matters relating to the school. The Act states “the Principal and teachers shall regularly evaluate students and periodically report the results of the evaluation to the students and their parents”. Under the Education (Welfare) Act, if a student leaves one school to go to another, the Principal of the first school must give information about the child to the new school. This information may include attendance or other relevant matters relating to the child's progress. You should receive a written report from your child's school at some point(s) during the year. This report will give you information on your child's progress and achievement in school in four key areas.

1. Your child as a learner how your child likes learning in school how your child works with other children, or on his/her own how your child keeps trying at work, even when it is hard how well your child works in school or at home

2. Your child's social and personal development if your child appears happy in school how he/she behaves how he/she gets on with other children in the classroom and in the playground

3. Your child's learning across the curriculum how he/she is getting on in English, Gaeilge, Mathematics, and in the other subject areas whether he/she needs a little or a lot of help with school work whether your child needs a little or a lot of help with homework

4. You and your child's learning how you might be able to help your child to do better in school things you can do at home to help with your child's learning

For tip sheets on ways you can help your child to learn, check the NCCA website www.ncca.ie

For further information or to download an information sheet on your child's school report click here to go to the NCCA website

Other items which should be included in your child's report include: Standardised test results - when applicable should be included in your child's report. The purpose of the standardised test is to check how your child is performing in literacy (English) and numeracy (maths). The tests must be carried out at the end of first class or the beginning of Second and again at the end of fifth or the beginning of sixth class. Parents must be informed of the result of the test. The result of a standardised test will appear as a number. Your child's teacher will write a short comment explaining to you what this number means. Comments - The teacher may draw attention to something (s)he would like to talk to you about. The teacher might use this space to draw attention to, or praise your child for some special achievement or quality. For further information on Standardised Tests see the NCCA website www.ncca.ie

If a request is made then it would be appropriate to comply with the request and to supply copies of school reports to both guardians. Again, in the absence of a request, a school would have to consider the particular circumstances but, given that it would be likely that there would be relatively little expense and difficulty in arranging for copies of the reports to be sent to both guardians it would seem sensible to have a policy which provides for copies of reports to be sent to each guardian.

Supervision before and after school is an issue of concern in many schools, the Board of Management has a duty of care for all children including periods of time where children are on the school premises outside of the official 5 hours and 40 minutes contact time, i.e. when the children assemble for school and when they are dismissed at the end of the school day. It is up to the management of the school to ensure that all children and staff are in a safe environment. To this end the Board of Management must prepare a safety statement which would highlight any areas of particular concern. However the staff of the School are not required by their contract to provide supervision outside of the official 5 hours and 40 minutes contact time. NPC have been negotiating with the Department for a number of years on this issue and we were delighted when it was particularly suggested as one of the ways a school could use their extra hour per teacher per week as per the CrokePark Agreement. The provision, with effect from the start of the 2010/11 school year, of an additional hour per week to be available to facilitate, at the discretion of management, school planning, continuous professional development, induction, substitution and supervision (including supervision immediately before and after school times). The Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) says: Based on Case Law precedence and the advice of Allianz Insurance, it appears that it can be reasonably expected that children will be on school premises for up to 10 minutes before and after school, allowing for normal access and departure in an orderly fashion. Once the school allows access to the premises, the School authorities have a duty to supervise. The same applies to pupils staying on after school. It is not reasonable to leave children standing on the sides of busy roads in inclement weather where the traffic poses a danger. The geography of every school is different, but regardless of design, the Board of Management’s (BoM's) responsibility relates to the entire premises and not just the school building or designated playgrounds. Some Solutions suggested by the IPPN (Irish Primary Principals’ Network) include: Engage the Parents’ Association (PA) in discussion re. Before & After School Children’s Safety. Outline the BoM’s difficulty in relation to this matter Engage the PA in discussion re. the link between the school opening time and the pattern of children being on school premises for lengthy periods in advance. Having consulted with parents through the Parents’ Association & individually and having consulted with staff, the BoM should consider the feasibility of altering the school opening time to minimize the amount of time children spend unsupervised on the school premises. The BoM to engage the PA in discussion re providing a Rota of parents to supervise the safety of children before & after school. The BoM and the PA should negotiate with transport providers and seek more practical collection and drop-off times for children. Where transport providers are either unwilling or unable to show flexibility, encourage parents to engage in car pooling.

There are no specific allowances for space per child in a classroom, neither are there rules regarding the maximum number of children in a classroom. It is up to the management of the school to ensure that all children and staff are in a safe environment. To this end the Board of Management must prepare a safety statement which would highlight any areas of particular concern. If you are concerned you should raise the issue with the class teacher / Principal.

The Principal has the responsibility to organize supervision at break and lunchtime. It is up to the management of the school to ensure that all children and staff are in a safe environment. To this end the Board of Management must prepare a safety statement which would highlight any areas of particular concern. There is a system for supervision which teachers can opt into and be paid for this work separate from their salary. Most teachers have opted into this. The principal organises a suitable Rota. Some of the additional time agreed under the Croke Park Agreement can also be used for supervision if necessary. If you have a concern you should raise this with the Principal.

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Homeschooling in Ireland

There has been growing interest in homeschooling in recent months, due in part to the disruption caused by COVID-19. Families may also choose to home-educate their children for religious reasons or to have greater control over the education of their children. Hazel Katherine Larkin explains the realities and benefits of homeschooling in Ireland.

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Most children in Ireland start school between the ages of four and six, and stay there until they are between 16 and 18. Many Irish families, however, choose not to send their children to school.

Parents in Ireland have a constitutional right to educate their children at home, and you don't need to have a formal teaching qualification. You don't need to follow the national curriculum (though some parents choose to do so), though you must ensure that your kids receive a ‘certain minimum education, moral, intellectual and social’ (Article 42.3.2).

Read Next: Homeschooling in Ireland: A Mum's Story

Bunreacht na hÉireann supports the right of parents to educate their own children in whatever way they see fit. Article 42 of the Constitution states:

• The State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family and guarantees to respect the inalienable right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children.
• Parents shall be free to provide this education in their homes…
• The State shall not oblige parents in violation of their conscience and lawful preference to send their children to schools established by the State, or to any particular type of school designated by the State.

Read Next: Online Resources To Help Your Little One Have Fun & Keep Learning

Why Homeschool?

Parents decide to home-educate for a variety of reasons. For some, they worry about the standard of education in Irish schools.

“With more than 30 children in the majority of classes in Ireland, how much ‘learning’ can actually happen?” asks Paula, who has always home-educated her three children (aged 13, 10 and eight).

Other parents decide they don’t want to send their children to a school with a Catholic ethos – and have no other choices in their localities.

“We’re atheists,” Jenny, another homeschooling mother, tells me. “And I didn’t want them going to a school and being fed all this nonsense about a god that we believe doesn’t exist. Then, they’d have to come home and un-learn it. It didn’t seem fair on either them or the school.”

Her solution, when the local Educate Together school had no place for her eldest daughter, was to home-educate.

Some parents remove their children from school when things aren’t going well. That’s what Sophie did. Her girls are both in the top 5% of gifted learners and the school neither knew – nor wanted to learn – how to facilitate their intelligence.

“My daughters were not receiving an adequate education and the school was refusing to work with me. In fact, they were putting obstacles in my way. When my seven-year-old told me she wanted to die because of the stress at school, I knew it was time to act,” she told me.

For other families, a less-structured approach to learning suits their family style better than the strict rigours of the average Irish classroom.

All these reasons – and more – are valid and acceptable ones to homeschool.

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Registration

If you wish to try homeschooling in Ireland the first thing to do is register with Education Welfare Services (part of TUSLA). This needs to be done when the child turns six, or you remove them from school, whichever applies. The board then organises a meeting/phone call to go through the formalities of registering your child as homeschooled.

The Education Welfare Services board ensures that you have given thought to all aspects of your child’s education – moral, physical, religious, social and intellectual – and also that you physically have an area for your child to learn (well-lit, well-ventilated, warm and comfortable), and a space where artwork can be displayed.

If your child is secondary school age, they may also want to hear your plans for how you'll help your child reach further or higher education, if they wish to do so.

Information on what is expected from you will also be imparted during the meeting as well as other useful information – such as, if your child ever enters mainstream school in Ireland, they will not be entitled to an exemption from Irish. In addition, both parents (even if you’re separated or divorced) may be asked to confirm that they are happy for the child to be homeschooled. None of this process involves interviewing or testing your child.

TUSLA will then make a decision on your suitability to homeschool and you will be informed of that decision in writing. If your child is has a school place, it will be held for them until this decision is confirmed, although they won't be on the registration list and thus won't be marked as absent for not attending.

There is currently a backlog in people applying, with some prospective homeschoolers reporting a 12 to 18 month wait between the initial contact and the meeting/phone call. However, once you make initial contact and submitted an application stating your intentions, you are covered to start homeschooling. So you don't need to wait for final approval to begin.

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The Financial Implications

The first thing to consider is who will actually be doing the schooling? If you co-parent, will one of you have to give up work? If so, how will that impact on your family finances?

The other financial burden to consider is all the materials, books and subscriptions to online lessons, etc. that you might need to pay for.

Additionally, classes such as music, gym and other classes that might be available through school will be added expenses for the homeschooling family.

Another thing to consider is that you won’t be able to access the free dental and eye checks that are carried out through the schools – so, unless you have a medical card, you’ll have to pay for them. On the occasions when you need a sitter for your child – if you have a meeting or appointment you can’t bring them to, for example – that’s another expense.

Your Child Benefit Allowance and Back to Education Allowance is not affected – If your child is aged 16-18 and registered with Tusla as still receiving full time education they are still entitled to CBA, and if you qualify for the Back to Education Allowance you will receive it. However, there are no grants available to home educating parents to cover any expenses.

Read Next: How To Nurture A Love Of Reading

What To Teach And How To Teach It?

Different families have different approaches to homeschooling. Some parents prefer to use a curriculum, while others are of the opinion that learning is organic, and that children learn what they need to know by everyday interaction with the world around them.

Personally, I used a learning log for each of my children. Every day, I made a note of what they studied, and for how long. I also included things like visits to museums, galleries and trips overseas; cooking, crafting, foreign languages, and things like their yoga practice, GAA practice and outdoor free-play. When we sat down and added it all up – they fitted a lot of educational things into their days!

Some parents hesitate to homeschool because they worry that they’re not ‘expert’ enough to teach their children. As long as you can read, you can help your child to learn – and for the things you can’t do, there are other people who can help. I ‘outsourced’ their dancing, singing and Mandarin classes, I had a friend (who is a professional artist) do art with them, and did the rest myself. We are also lucky enough to have a fabulous library nearby, and it became a great resource to us during the year my girls were homeschooled.

You, as a parent, are the greatest resource your child has. No one will have as much interest in ensuring their educational success as you.

There is a Home Education Network (HEN) in Ireland, as well as many online forums and Facebook pages dedicated to homeschooling in Ireland and abroad – Homeschoolers Ireland is a particularly good one. So there is help, support and advice available to anyone homeschooling – or just considering it.

For more educational resources, you might find curriculumonline.ie , folens.ie , and outschool.com useful.

Going forward

Home education is not just for children of primary school age, either. Your children can also do their secondary education at home – and there is no compunction on them to do the Irish state exams, either. They can sit exams set by educational departments in other jurisdictions, and matriculate for Irish universities without having done a Leaving Certificate.

If you choose to homeschool – and then realise that it doesn’t suit you as well as you thought it might – you can always put your children back into a state school. Their entitlement to a state education will not be compromised by your decision to home educate.

Finally, if you do decide to homeschool, don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t expect too much from yourself and your child. Accept that some days will be better than others, enjoy the process and ask for the support and help you need.

Do you homeschool your children? Tell us about the benefits as well as the challenges there are in the comments below.

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Call to ban smacking in England and Northern Ireland

S macking children should be made illegal in England and Northern Ireland, say children's doctors, calling current laws "unjust and dangerously vague".

Their report warns children suffer lasting mental and physical effects from being hit in the home.

Striking a child is already illegal in Scotland and Wales, and in many other countries around the world.

The government says parents are trusted to discipline their children.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Any form of violence towards a child is completely unacceptable and we have clear laws in place to prevent it."

But child health experts say children should be given the same protection as adults.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's (RCPCH) report sets out why England and Northern Ireland should follow the example of Scotland and Wales in changing the law to make physical punishment of children illegal.

At present, if a child is smacked, hit or slapped in England and Northern Ireland, parents may be able to argue that this was "reasonable punishment" and avoid breaking the law.

The Children Act 2004 says it is unlawful to assault a child causing actual or grievous bodily harm, or cruelty.

But a review of studies by RCPCH found smacking can be damaging to children's behaviour, health and wellbeing.

It said, for example, children who experience physical punishment are nearly three time more likely to have poor mental health and twice as likely to be on the receiving end of serious physical assault and abuse.

Being smacked also increased the chances of having difficult relationships with family and being aggressive later in life.

'Violence is cyclical'

Prof Andrew Rowland, who leads on child protection at the college, said he was regularly faced with "extremely challenging" situations when he had to talk to families about the rules around physical punishment of children, where some forms or punishment are legal and some are not.

He said this created "a grey area" when there was "no need for any debate" on safeguarding children.

"Changing the laws in England and Northern Ireland will give us absolute clarity and ensure there are no instances where it is acceptable or lawful to smack a child," Prof Rowland said.

"Research and history show us that violence is often cyclical in nature, it is up to us as adults to break that cycle for our children."

Corporal punishment of children in Scotland was made illegal in 2020 and in Wales in 2022. Although it is too soon to say if there has been a reduction in physical punishment since, the experiences of countries such as Germany, Romania and Sweden suggest that changing the law can have a real impact.

According to the report, these countries have seen a tangible reduction in the number of children who report being hit at home.

There are more than 60 countries worldwide giving children the same protection as adults from assault and violence.

Child health experts say they want children across the UK to be given the same rights and they are urging all political parties to include a promise to remove the current reasonable punishment defence in their manifestos for the general election.

Joanna Barrett, associate head of policy at the NSPCC, said: "All children deserve the same protection from assault as adults. Yet in England and Northern Ireland, children continue to be exposed to a legal loophole that can undermine their basic right to protection under the guise of 'reasonable chastisement'.

"That's why we're calling on political leaders in England and Northern Ireland to commit to bringing an end to the physical punishment of children - as the rest of the UK have successfully done."

The UK government said there were no plans to change the law on smacking in England and said it would monitor the impact of law changes in Scotland and Wales.

"We are supporting teachers, social workers and all safeguarding professionals to spot the signs of abuse or neglect more quickly," a Department for Education spokesperson said.

They added: "Our statutory framework for safeguarding children in England makes clear what organisations should do to keep children safe."

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Kingsmill massacre an ‘overtly sectarian attack by IRA’, coroner rules

Inquest delivers findings 48 years after 10 Protestant workers were shot dead when their minibus was ambushed in County Armagh

The shooting dead of 10 Protestant workers at Kingsmill in Northern Ireland in 1976 was an “overtly sectarian attack by the IRA”, a coroner has ruled.

Nearly eight years after the inquest opened , Brian Sherrard delivered his findings in Belfast on Friday into the Troubles killings in County Armagh.

The inquest heard the workers’ minibus was ambushed outside the village of Kingsmill on their way home.

Those onboard were asked their religion and the only Catholic was ordered to run away. The killers forced the 11 remaining men to line up outside the van before opening fire. Alan Black, who was shot a number of times, was the sole survivor.

The shootings were claimed by a little-known republican paramilitary group, used as a front for the on-ceasefire IRA . No one has ever been convicted.

Sherrard said the “glaring omission” in the proceedings had been the absence of any evidence from those who caused the attack. He said: “Unlike other legacy inquests which have examined the actions of the state in directly causing death, those responsible for the deaths at Kingsmill have not given an account either personally or through any organisation or any political party.

“Numerous calls to assist and provide answers were met with silence.

“Accordingly the inquest did not receive disclosure from any individual concerned in the attack, nor their organisation, nor their political representatives although expert evidence was given that records may well exist.”

He said there had been no recognition from the perpetrators of the “utter wrongness” of the Kingsmill attack.

Decades after the shooting, police found a match between a palm print discovered on the suspected Kingsmill getaway vehicle and a suspect in the attack. One man was questioned by detectives in 2016 but not charged.

Sherrard said Ireland’s Garda Síochána was in possession of the palm print in 1976 but the police in Northern Ireland never asked for it.

The coroner said if the suspect had been questioned in the immediate aftermath of the attack and confronted with the fingerprint link to the van, it might have helped progress the investigation.

He outlined various errors and omissions in the police investigation after the shooting, but said those should be viewed in the context of the time and there should be no attempt to shift the blame away from those responsible for the murders.

He said there could be “little doubt” that the likely suspects were known to the security forces at the time.

In his conclusions, the coroner described the attack as “sophisticated and complex” and involving at least 12 IRA men. Sherrard also dismissed any suggestion that perpetrators were not pursued in order to protect an IRA informant, describing it as “unhelpful conspiracy theorising”.

Two individuals identified as suspects in the Kingsmill attack were later given “comfort letters” issued by the UK government to “on the run” republican suspects during the peace process.

Sherrard said the “OTR letters” had not impeded the inquest as no firm evidence connecting the individuals to the shootings had ever emerged.

The attack at Kingsmill was claimed by a group calling itself the South Armagh Republican Action Force.

Sherrard outlined extensive ballistics evidence to Belfast coroner’s court linking the weapons used at Kingsmill to a series of attacks carried out by the IRA. He said the “unassailable” evidence showed that the guns fired at Kingsmill were the “exclusive property” of the IRA.

The families of a victim of the Kingsmill massacre and the only survivor said the inquest into the killings had not answered their questions and called for a public inquiry.

John McConville died in the attack on 5 January 1976, while Black was seriously injured.

A joint statement from the McConville and Black families said: “At the start of the inquest eight years ago we were full of hope that the many difficult questions that have burdened us surrounding John’s murder and that of his colleagues and the attempted murder of Alan Black would be answered.

“However, as we progressed through the inquest our questions have not been answered and our concerns have grown.”

Speaking outside Belfast coroner’s court, Black described the inquest as a “Band-Aid”. He said: “I am so disappointed with this inquest.”

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Giants eye more QB prospects, digging deeper on their draft board

• Updated: Apr. 17, 2024, 11:50 a.m. |
• Published: Apr. 17, 2024, 11:26 a.m.

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is visiting the Giants this week. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

• Bridget Hyland | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Giants have been doing their homework on quarterbacks as the draft draws closer.

That continued into this week. NFL Network reports that Oregon’s Bo Nix and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler are both visiting the Giants in East Rutherford.

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Trump hush money trial adjourns till Thursday

• The civil litigator from the Upper East Side who listens to “Car Talk” becomes juror no....
• Defense focuses on social media in selecting jurors
• Trial moving at a brisk pace, with six jurors already seated

Here's what to know:

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• Trump trial further splinters his relationship with his beloved New York Earlier today Trump trial further splinters his relationship with his beloved New York Earlier today
• What we know so far about the jurors in Trump’s New York hush money trial April 16, 2024 What we know so far about the jurors in Trump’s New York hush money trial April 16, 2024
• Key takeaways from Trump trial Day 2: The 7 jurors, Trump’s demeanor April 16, 2024 Key takeaways from Trump trial Day 2: The 7 jurors, Trump’s demeanor April 16, 2024

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Irish construction workers overseas: ‘I’d love to return home, but I simply can’t afford to’

‘most irish are in australia for the same reasons: better working standards and lifestyle. at home, there’s nowhere to live and wages do not match the cost of living’.

Patricia Morrison, a project manager working in construction in the UK, wants to return home to Co Mayo to be close to her family but is struggling to find somewhere to live, work outside of Dublin and creche places for her two young children. Photograph: Patricia Morrison

The only thing pulling Patricia Morrison home to Ireland from London is her family. Such a move means contending with a dearth of rental properties in her native Co Mayo, a lack of local work opportunities and nine-month waiting list for a creche space.

Having spent 11 years working in construction in the UK, Morrison, who has two young children, says she is considering moving to Ireland and commuting to work in London due to a lack of opportunities in her field outside of Dublin.

She has described a planned marketing campaign to entice Irish construction workers based overseas to come home as a “complete and utter waste of money”. The Government is planning to launch the campaign in cities such as London and Sydney, Australia to coax skilled workers to return because the sector here is struggling to find skilled staff.

A recent report for the Department of Higher and Further Education found50,000 construction workers were needed to deliver the Government’s housing and retrofitting targets up to 2030.

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The department is undertaking research to identify the motivations and insights of construction workers who have emigrated, the findings of which will form the basis of the campaign.

It is unclear if the initiative will include any supports for Irish construction workers who do return home. The marketing campaign is part of a €750,000 Government plan to promote careers in construction in Ireland in order to help the State meet its housing targets.

Morrison (35), a project manager, says she moved to London after graduating from the University of Galway in 2013, believing it would be more difficult to swiftly progress her construction career in Ireland as a woman. Aside from being closer to her family, she says there is nothing else enticing her to work in construction in Ireland.

“There is no other reason. We’re moving in with my parents because there isn’t anything to rent in Mayo.”

When she last looked online, Morrison says there was just one property available to rent in Louisburgh, Co Mayo – a one-bed apartment for €750 per month which would not suit her family.

“I’ve spoken to recruiters in Ireland who said I’d walk into a job in Dublin because of my experience in London, but Dublin just isn’t feasible. I couldn’t afford the rent,” she says.

One of her daughters has been on a waiting list for a creche in Co Mayo for the past nine months, alongside 40 other children.

“My partner’s English and he asks me: ‘Why are we going there again?’.”

She is now considering commuting to London for three days a week once her maternity leave is finished and she has settled back in Co Mayo. She says Knock Airport airport is “full” of Irish construction workers leaving for London most Mondays, with a corresponding influx returning on Fridays.

These workers are opting to take jobs there and stay in digs or lodgings on weekdays, she says, as it is a cheaper and easier option than living in or commuting to Dublin.

“There is a huge amount of Irish in construction here [in the UK], it’s unreal,” she says, adding that the majority of new Irish arrivals she has encountered through her career are newly qualified and in search of better pay and opportunities.

Irish construction staff in Australia tell a similar story. “I’ve been out here 16 years and an ad campaign isn’t going to sway me one way or another. All the stuff I’m hearing is about how hard it is when you go back there,” says Damian Ennis, who is living in Sydney.

'All the stuff I’m hearing is about how hard it is when you go back there,' said Damian Ennis who is working in Sydney.

The 39-year-old says he has heard “horror stories” from friends who have made the move back homewith issues arising around insurance, mortgages and finding somewhere to live.

“The things stopping people from going home are stories from other people who have gone home and regretted it,” he says. “These people want to go back to both sets of parents, they want to live in their town and then they go back and maybe they’re struggling to find a decent job or if they find a job, the quality of life they get for it isn’t close to what they get over here.”

As a design manager, the scale of projects in the pipeline in Ireland has also done little to entice him back since emigrating to Sydney in 2008.

“I’ve worked on $AUS60 billion (€36.5 billion) worth of infrastructure in 10 years,” he says. “The Dublin Metro is not even half that and it’s been talked about for 20 years, that’s the difference.”

Ennis, from Dromcollogher, Co Limerick, worked in Ireland for three years after graduating at the height of the Celtic Tiger when a “silly” amount of work was available. He moved to Australia before the Irish economic crash, intending to stay for just 12 months.

“I don’t think any of us rang home to confirm, but we worked out pretty quickly there was no point checking if there were still jobs for us,” he says.

“If there’s a hole being dug in Sydney, there is a digger with a shamrock on it. If it involves digging holes, putting drainage pipes in the ground or pouring concrete, there’s an Irish guy doing it,” he says, adding that the money paid on-site for skilled staff in Australia is “staggering”.

Paul Lynch (34), who moved to Sydney in 2014, has since tried to move home more than once. When he returned to his native Mullagh, Co Clare in 2016, he found it difficult to settle in Ireland and went back to Australia soon after.

He returned again in July 2022, planning to settle down for good, but a lack of affordable accommodation in the cities where construction work was available, in addition to a lack of opportunities in his field in Co Clare while living with his parents, prompted him to head back to Sydney early last year.

“I’d love to return home, but I simply can’t afford to. Getting a mortgage and the cost of building my own home seems to have become unattainable so I’m not sure what to do,” says Lynch.

He works as an excavator operator for an Irish construction company in Sydney and estimates about 75 per cent of the employees in the firm are Irish. He says a huge number of Irish people have arrived in the city over the past year.

Some 21,525 working holiday visas were granted to Irish citizens from July 2022 to last July, according to the Department of Home Affairs in Australia. It is the highest number issued since 2011/2012, when 25,827 working holiday visas were granted. Since then, 13,000 additional working visas have been granted to “skilled” Irish workers in a variety of construction-related roles.

There is no data on the total number of Irish construction workers abroad. Some 30,500 Irish citizens emigrated in the 12 months to last April, up from 27,600 a year earlier. In the same period, 29,600 Irish citizens returned, up from 28,900 in 2022, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office.

“Most Irish are here for the same reasons: better working standards and lifestyle,” Lynch says, adding that it is a “chalk and cheese” comparison.

He believes any campaign to try and convince Irish construction workers to return home, given the current circumstances, would likely be a “waste of money”.

“Everyone knows the situation at home. There’s nowhere to live for construction workers, or people in general for that matter, and wages do not match the cost of living.”

In addition, he believes a certain mentality in the Irish construction industry remains where workers are expected to “do everything and be paid peanuts”.

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