While thousands of Irish people are trying to get jobs in the USA an American living here has been refused a permit to work in Ireland.
Stained glass artist Richard (Rick) Kimball from Portland in Maine has been resident in Galway since 1988. He was relieved to obtain a work permit only to have it taken away from him. He is now an alien, and as such he is in trouble with Irish emigration authorities who no longer want him to work here.
Solicitor Paddy Keane explains that the permit was rescinded because of the number of unemployed people in Ireland. As such, no more permits are being issued and Rick Kimball has been fined £21 for working without the appropriate papers.
Noel Grealish of Greaney Glass feels that with the efforts being made with the Morrison visa program to grant green cards to Irish citizens wishing to live and work in America, it seems ludicrous to want to evict one American worker from Ireland.
Rick Kimball has learned he could stay in Ireland if he had £150,000 to form his own company, but this is beyond his capabilities. He fears repatriation as he does not want to go back to live in the States.
I definitely wouldn’t want to go back to the United States, I left there, I don’t want to live there, for me that’s the worst case.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 21 October 1991. The reporter is Jim Fahy.
