Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but from what friends of mine that are current or ex Ryanair have told me, the way things are set up doesn't allow what ezy320 talks about above. It may have been different on the Brookfield contracts which I don't think are being offered anymore but on the McGinley ones you aren't actually employed by the agency, you are "employed" by your own limited company. The result of this being that on top of your Irish income tax you have to pay not only the employee contribution of social security/national insurance in your base country but also the employer contribution - which from what one friend was telling me depending on the country can add up to a substantial amount. (30-40%++).