How new citizens were treated after accession:
Ireland is one of only three of the then 15 EU states that fully opened its labour market to workers from the 10 countries that joined in May 2004. Most of the EU15 availed of the right to restrict access to workers from the new member states for up to seven years.
Ireland, Britain and Sweden were the three exceptions, opening up their labour markets to workers from the 10 new states immediately upon accession. In common with the other two, Ireland did introduce social-welfare restrictions to prevent people from coming simply to avail of welfare benefits. In Ireland's case, a "habitual residence" rule was introduced requiring workers from the new states to be resident in this State for two years before they could qualify for benefits.
The restriction was partially relaxed late last year after the European Commission warned the Government that aspects of it could be contrary to EU law. Newly arrived migrant workers classed as "job seekers", however, still have no automatic right to social welfare.