• Applications for admission to Springboard+ courses (Incl. the ICT Skills Programme) should be accepted from suitably qualified applicants who hold EU/EEA/UK/Swiss nationality in their own right or who are:
• Persons who have official refugee status in this State. Time spent from date of official lodgement of application papers for refugee status will be included for the purpose of meeting the three-year residency requirement; or
• Family members of a refugee who are granted permission by the Minister for Justice and Law Reform to enter and reside in the State under Section 18 of the Refugee Act 1996; or
• Persons who have permission to remain in the State as a family member of a Union citizen under the provisions of the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2006 and 2008 and Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council; or
• Persons who have been granted Humanitarian Leave to Remain in the State (prior to the Immigration Act 1999); or
• Be a person in respect of whom the Minister for Justice and Law Reform has granted permission to remain following a determination not to make a deportation order under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 or;
• Be a non-EU/non-EEA/non-UK/non-Swiss citizen legally entitled to work full time in Ireland without having to seek an employment permit. These residents may be here as the spouse/civil partner or family member of an Irish or EU citizen and will have Stamp 4 or Stamp 4 EU FAM on their residence cards from Garda National Immigration Bureau.

• Applicants must have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/UK/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to the programme. Note: The period of residency for holders of Stamp 4 or Stamp 4 EU FAM is calculated from the date of receipt of the Stamp 4. Any period of residency in the state before this date will not be taken into consideration.

Returners are those who are not in receipt of a payment from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection but who have been out of the work environment for a number of years due to childcare or other caring obligations. They have a previous history of employment but may require upskilling, reskilling or cross-skilling to transition back to the workforce.

To be eligible the applicant must have been:

• A Homemaker or on other caring duties for a minimum period of 9 of the previous 12 months prior to their application
• Ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/UK/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to the programme
• In addition, the applicant will need to provide supporting documentation to confirm their status as a Homemaker
• Applicants must swear a declaration before a Commissioner for attesting to their status.

It should be noted that acceptance on to a postgraduate course does not confer any entitlement to DEASP payments or childcare supports. Returners will not pay any course fees.

• Applicants who are employed will need to meet the residency requirements, i.e. that the applicant has been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/UK/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to the programme.
• This category of applicant will also be required to provide a copy of their most recent ‘Employment Detail Summary’ or other relevant revenue documentation. Applicants will be required to pay 10% of the course fee.

• Applicants who are employed will need to meet the residency requirements, i.e. that the applicant has been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/UK/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to the programme. This category of applicant will also be required to provide a copy of their most recent ‘Employment Detail Summary’ or other relevant revenue documentation. Applicants will be required to pay 10% of the course fee.

• Full and Part time Postgraduate courses are open to recent graduates. However, to participate in these courses, 2020 graduates will be required to pay 10% of the course fee. 
• Eligible participants must have at least a level 8 qualification or equivalent prior to acceptance onto a course. Exact academic eligibility requirements will be determined by individual providers and may depend on the nature of the course.