A new campaign by FÁS to warn migrant workers from the latest 10 EU accession states of the pitfalls of working in Ireland was launched today.
The Know Before You Gocampaign will include a DVD series be available in five different languages with the idea of informing people before they leave their home countries.
Although migrant workers arriving in Ireland from the 10 EU countries tend to be a highly skilled workforce, FÁS said fluency in English language can be migrants' biggest obstacle to seeking professional employment.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister for Enterprise, Michael Martin said: "An information campaign of this type can help mitigate situations where migrants arrive and find themselves stranded with no money, language problems, no contacts, accommodation or the correct papers."
"Since Accession the numbers have increased dramatically. In the period since May 2004 over 150,000 Personal Public Service numbers were issued to nationals of the new Member States. Tax revenue data indicates that over 100,000 or about 70 per cent of these entered Ireland's labour force at some stage," Mr Martin added.