The Government is poised to place restrictions on people from Bulgaria and Romania entering the workforce when both countries join the EU because of fears that a further influx of workers could damage the economy, writes Jamie Smyth & Carl O'Brien.
However, a report by the National Economic and Social Council yesterday said that any new influx was likely to be much smaller than when Poland and other states joined the EU in 2004.
Tánaiste Michael McDowell said yesterday that Ireland had its own social and economic interests to look after in relation to whether it imposed work-permit restrictions or fully opened its labour market.
"More than a quarter of a million PPS [Personal Public Service] numbers have been taken up by people from the new member states, and that in a State of just four million people . . . there are issues to be looked at," Mr McDowell told an EU meeting of justice ministers in Finland.
Introducing restrictions would also prevent problems emerging with the common travel area between Britain and Ireland, he said. "All the signals are that Ireland will not take a more liberal path to the UK because the consequences for the common travel area could be chaotic," Mr McDowell said when asked about indications this week that Britain would impose restrictions on workers from the new EU members.
Next Tuesday the European Commission is expected to recommend that both Romania and Bulgaria join the EU on January 1st, 2007. Only Finland has so far said that it will fully open its labour market to workers from both countries.
The Government is due to discuss the matter at Cabinet shortly and will also seek the views of the social partners.