Re Ireland.
It is pretty much the same as any EU country re visas. They do not seem to make an interview part of the proceedure, but the stickler for me would be medical insurance. My wife and child would be no problem i should think, but a pensioner of 70 is a different matter! Now i am very healthy, do not smoke, and do not have, nor ever have had any serious illness. Nonetheless i am still well past the 'sell by' date however you look at it!
If i can satisfy the Irish immigration over finances, no doubt i can do the same with the Brits. The one tempting thing about Ireland for starters, is the number of very nice furnished properties on offer at very reasoable rents. I would not get any housing benefits nor any other benfits for that matter, but one must remember that in trying to meet the financial demands, then employment and income come into the equation. With incom down go some of the benefits straight away.
There are enough pros about living in the Emerald Isle to give it serious consideration. I have always found the Irish to be extremely charming. The country is lovely and the way of life i would imagine is less fraught than the UK. The grass is always greener of course!
Perhaps the biggest con, for my wife at any rate, is employment, and i should think she would stand a far better chance of getting a job with her present credentials and experience, in Britain.
