... languages (english, french, chinese) and I need to find either work or volunteer opportunities in public health, specifically women's health and advocacy. Does anyone know which cities would be our best bet? -we would love a more progressive City maybe with a university? -good public transit or WAlkability would be great. -It would be really helpful to know which cities have a lower cost of living. Thanks so much!

... 3) Set up PPS, bank account, mobile phone (all need an address) Is this right? Ideally I WAnt to be looking at places to live at the same time as interviewing for work - will it be possible to sign a lease without a permanent job finalised? I have enough savings to cover the rent and can do temp work if necessary in the interim (I’m looking at senior roles - Sales/business development director level - but it may take a few weeks for the right opportunity to come up). I’m British so don’t need a work permit. Thanks in advance for any advice

... be paid out of pocket. New WAter charges, a relatively new property tax, TV license fee etc. Here's some of the text of my most recent conversation with @soju4321 who's concerned about the cost of living in Ireland: soju4321: "Coming from CA and living in Ireland, how comparable are the cost of living/monthly expenses between the two? E.G. Rent/utilizes/car insurance (transportation) / medical insurance? What scares me is all other expenses in Ireland such as coal. In CA we hardly use the heater during the winter. Tv tax, owner credit card and back accoun ...

Liam - I thought I'd provide a copy of an email I received today about since it reflects the possible cost for assistance with preparing/confirming financial information for the Stamp 0 application. I know Quintas has been mentioned in previous posts, but thought I'd provide their reply since it's current, especially the fees and contact information. I do have another request for service information and fees out to James O'Donovan of O’Donovan Lavin Accountants and will post any information that he provides. I hope the following is helpful. Thank you! My name is Adam McCarthy and I work in the Quintas tax department with Dave O’Brien. In order to prepare a financial verification pack we require the following documentation: Evidence of all finances available (i.e. last six months of bank statements, savings account statements, payslips, pension valuation, investment portfolios etc.) – This is to prove that you earn more than €50,000 per annum. Scanned copies of these will suffice. Evidence that you have access to a large sum of money to cover any major unforeseen expenses (typically the cost of a dwelling in the state) – This can be in the form of a property valuation or an investment that can be easily liquidated (if it is an investment then we will need confirmation that you have immediate access to the funds) Spreadsheet showing projected income in Ireland and expenditure on a monthly basis 2 photo ID and 2 documents showing proof of address (e.g. utility bill) notarized by a local official – the reason I need this is that we probably won’t meet in person If you are unsure about whether a particular source of income or funds is allowable just send us the documents and we can verify if it will qualify. The standard fee for this is €500 and can be broken down as follows: Request of information - €50 Review of documentation - €150 Review of Stamp 0 conditions to ensure qualification - €100 Letter of verification of income & finances available - €200 If however the work required is more extensive, then our fee will reflect this. As you intend on moving to Ireland next year the financial verification would need to take place around the time you intend to apply for the Stamp 0 cert so there is no need rush with this process at present. Should you have any questions in relation to any of the above please do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, Adam Adam McCarthy​ T: 021 4641400 E: adam.mccarthy@quintas.ie W: www.quintas.ie

hi my name is Ronan originally from Ireland and living in Vancouver working as a mechanic, thinking of moving home but WAnted to bring my tools and tool box, some of my furniture and possibly a car if it WAsn't to much hassle, it would be a track car so not one for driving on the road, WAs thinking of arranging a 20 ft container but hard to choose a company that you can trust, any company names ? does anybody know if I have to pay Custom fees entering Ireland?the fact they are my own personal tools and not for resale, and my car won't be driven on the road ...

Carole, The order in which you describe things make most sense. It's a catch 22 with the address a lot of times, so if you have a rental agreement in place, that should work for the needs in #3. A job offer letter may work too. It's totally at the discretion of the landlord/agency as to whether they will lease to you without a job in place. 3rd parties almost definitely won't allow this. A private landlord might, but it's unlikely. There are short term housing options too. You could go down that route in the short term.

Have you been to any of the Home Store and More shops in Dublin? There one in Cork, and it's almost a completely clone of Bed Bath & Beyond in the US. It's either a ripoff of it, or a rebranded version for Ireland. Anyway... They do have online shipping, and they do have Kitchen goods. I've never bought there, but just checked the site, and they'll deliver to all 32 counties, though not for free.

@xenophile thanks for the reply. I at least know I'm not alone here. If it's OK, I'll check in with you next spring and see how your move is going. From my research from afar, County Limerick and Limerick City will be my focus for looking for a place to live when I'm in Ireland this fall. But other than Dublin and probably Cork City (both too expensive), I'm not ruling any area out. I'm hoping COVID stays more or less under control and the global economy doesn't fall apart. Big dreams, I know. Slan, more good luck to your family. --Robert

If you're planning on living within the City center you can probably avoid the need to own a car especially if most of the activity you will do will be in and around the City. Buses, train, taxis, rental cars are all viable solutions to get around. I'd suggest doing some cost analysis on various websites to get a feel for what your daily travel needs might look like, as well as what your expenses for occasional rental needs would be.

... Arts. I am a third year middle school (12-14 years old) teacher in the states. I WAnt a place where I can easily get to the City, or is in the City, and has a good sized population in their 20s. I don't know much about the education in Ireland. Is it strong? Are there respect for teachers and education?