Other EU member countries are likely to follow Ireland and Britain by requiring transitional measures such as work restrictions for individuals from Romania and Bulgaria, according to the most senior EU Commission official with responsibility for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities.
Speaking at a conference in Dublin Castle yesterday, Nikolaus van der Pas, director general with the commission, predicted that the flow of workers from existing new EU member states into Ireland and elsewhere is unlikely to be a permanent feature, with many returning home to start new lives once they have earned the money to do so.
Last month, a spokeswoman for the EU commissioner for employment, Vladimir Spidla, said the commission regretted the decision of both governments to restrict labour market access to workers from Bulgaria and Romania when these states join the EU in January.
Both Bulgaria and Romania strongly criticised the decision.
But Mr van der Pas said yesterday that it was his understanding, from talking in recent days with Irish Government officials, that the decision was taken to allow for the planned integration of such workers.
He added that transitional measures have proven to be a necessary part of securing agreement on enlargement in the past, but also stressed that the arrival of workers from new member countries - such as Poland and Lithuania - has been and remains a positive development.
"In the present situation, that is with the wave of 10 countries that we have welcomed, the majority of the member states have introduced transitional measures," he told The Irish Times. "That majority which already exists is now growing because countries like Ireland and the UK who were before without measures, will join them."
He said: "In Ireland, according to what I have heard, it is not a problem of 'we don't like those foreigners'. In fact they are needed for the labour market. But to integrate it properly in terms of housing, schooling, etc, this is a challenge for many communities. And we need time to organise our responses."
He added that previous experience with enlargement had illustrated that fears about long-term mass immigration to other member states were unfounded.
"We have the impression from the figures we have that many of the people that are coming are not necessarily people with family, who are coming here in order to establish themselves forever.
"Many of them are younger people, talented people, who have good professional competence, and they see the possibility of a flying start somewhere else, to make some economies and to go back home and have the necessary reserves."
Mr van der Pas made his comments at the three-day conference, entitled "Competitive Europe, Social Europe - partners or rivals?", attended by delegates from around Europe. It was organised by the Dublin-based European foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions, with support from the Irish Government.