A government initiative aimed at encouraging young Irish emigrants to return home said they should focus on the “two-year itch” when the reality of settling abroad long-term begins to take hold, reports The Mirror.
Scoping documents added that the country was still feeling the effects of the post-Celtic Tiger era, during which parents often discouraged their children from pursuing careers in construction, reports The Mirror.
A design brief for the Build Back Home campaign explained that the early stages of an emigrant’s journey were marked by excitement and possibility.
However, the €443,000 campaign noted there came a point when people realised that establishing a new life elsewhere could be just as challenging and that homesickness might begin to emerge, reports The Mirror.
It said housing costs in popular Irish emigrant destinations such as Vancouver, Sydney and London were exceptionally high, making it equally difficult to purchase a home.
The brief said: “After two plus years, life abroad can become difficult. Visa renewal, transient friendships, hard to buy and rent in major cities abroad too, see friends at home settling down,” reports The Mirror.
It also said the campaign – which operated across several countries – needed to convey to Irish emigrants that “we value them and their experience, and that employers do too”, and that concerns around banking, mobile phones, insurance and planning permission when moving home needed to be addressed.
It said: “There is a perception that moving home involves a lot of red tape, but the reality is not as arduous as many believe,” reports The Mirror.
The document emphasised the importance of highlighting Project Ireland 2040 and the substantial job opportunities to come, particularly in construction.
A preliminary outline stated that the campaign would target well-known locations, with one major city selected in Australia, America, the UK, Canada and “potentially Dubai, if budget allows”, reports The Mirror.
A later briefing added that addressing fears around bureaucracy for returning Irish people would be crucial and said the core audience should be those aged between 25 and 35.
The document said: “They are ‘opportunity seekers’ who left Ireland in their early twenties for an adventure. The chance to experience life beyond GAA and the local pub has enabled significant personal growth as they take on life as an adult, fend for themselves, pay bills, prepare food, discover new people and new things to do,” reports The Mirror.
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