US disable veteran moving to Ireland questions?

Hi there, Mike,

I'm an expat from Chicago who has been here 21 years living in Co. Clare. I love the people. Hate the weather. And find living in rural Ireland is less interesting to me now that my son is grown & gone.

I continually toy with the idea of moving to Dublin, which is a terrific city. And easier to get around for physically challenged folks. I know as I have a wheelchair bound brother so I'm more aware.

Also, 25% of the population of the Republic live within a 50k radius of Dublin city centre, so socially there's a larger pool.
It is also the cultural hub and the weather seems to be consistently better on the southeast side of the country.

Another bonus is that people over 65 & disabled people are entitled to a free travel pass which allows the bearer & a companion to travel free on all train/bus/rapid transit in the country. So one could live in Dublin with all its amenities and travel freely to visit & explore other areas at will.

Residency is easy enough. You must provide evidence that you are financially independent (your $3k/€2330 should do it) and that you have independent medical insurance. I assume you have insurance now. You'd want to ensure that you can travel abroad with that because medical insurance here is expensive and there is a 5 or 10 year non cover on pre-existing conditions dependent on your age. That said, Ireland (like much of Europe) has public medical care for emergency services. And you'll want to register with the US Embassy in Dublin because, in addition to simply being a good idea, the Garda (police) will use them to run a background check before giving you a residency card.

Beyond that I can add that everything is expensive--fuel (currently about a breathtaking $5.20 a gal (aren't you glad about that free travel))--food (it's a big import country) -- clothes (ditto on the import) -- a pint (€4.30) Here's a handy link for you to give you a better idea: numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Ireland  And, bear in mind we're an island so to get here(for your family(unless you can get them military hops)) is also expensive. There are cheap flights to the rest of Europe on discount airlines if you don't travel during school holidays and book in advance.

Also suggest you keep abreast of the 'bankster' situation going on here as the outcome (payments to the govt for VAT/services/etc) may sky rocket in order to come up with the money Ireland now owes the Central Bank for bailing out the now defunct AIB bank. There has been an introduction of property tax and water/sewage is on its way. So even if your renting your rent will reflect those charges when they come in 2014. Property is currently cheap (relative to the ridiculous prices in the heady days of the Celtic Tiger),so if you were able, buying a multi-unit property where you could rent out (a duplex or apt bldg) would be a good move if you could swing it. If you're considering that ping me an email and I'll fill you in on desirable neighbourhoods.

Hope I didn't put you off. The people are worth the hassles of living here. They really are great 'craic'.

Slán,
Susanne