Recruitment Eire

LIVING IN IRELAND

Ireland is primarily a Roman Catholic country with one of the fastest growing and youngest populations in Europe. It has a well educated workforce but there is strong demand for skilled labour, particularly IT professionals.

Known for its farming industry and meat, bacon, poultry and dairy produce, Ireland also has seas and inland lakes which yield large supplies of fresh fish including salmon, trout, lobster, Dublin Bay prawns, oysters and mussels. It is no surprise then to hear that Dublin has some excellent gourmet restaurants as well as cafes and bars for those operating on a smaller budget.

Ireland is almost famous for its pubs of which there is no shortage. These are informal places to drink with counter service. Most of the drinks are imported but the two internationally famous homegrown products are Irish whiskey and Guinness stout.

Public transport in Ireland is run by state-supported train and bus companies and although it is reliable and inexpensive, it can be infrequent and slow. Logic does not appear to play a significant factor in routing policy, so do not assume that neighbouring towns are going to be connected.

As a rough guide, expect to pay anything between €450-€650 a month for an unfurnished room apartment or studio. A furnished one room apartment will be in the range of €520-€730. The rental for a one or two bedroom apartment will be anything from €650-€1250. Two to three bedrooms will set you back €970-€1780 and you should be able to rent a house for approximately €1295-€21110. All of these sums are exclusive of bills and will depend on the location you choose to live in. The main residential areas are south of Dublin and leases are usually offered for one year. Agencies will charge you a reservation fee prior to searching on your behalf and a deposit is required to reserve accommodation. This money is refundable upon signature of the lease.

Remember that Ireland is an EU country and VAT is therefore charged on all purchases and services at the current rate of 21%.

If you have children, there are some excellent international schools available with the Ecole Franco Irlandaise in Dublin and the Sutton Park School overlooking Dublin Bay. The numerous Catholic schools provide a first rate academic education.