Ms Helen Lowry:

Again, that is a good question. I refer you to a recent analysis we did of our drop-in centre. We dealt with almost 2,700 people in the period May 2009 to October 2014, which is a substantial number of individuals. They came from 96 countries and were living here for an average of eight years. We find that people are less likely to be here for a shorter period. Since the enlargement of the European Union and managed migration policy, in terms of work permits and eligible categories, Ireland is no longer a country of inward migration to the same extent it was in the so-called boom years. The figures for non-EU migrants migrating to Ireland to work have reduced substantially. There is still a high percentage of international students coming to live and work here, but they do not necessarily end up undocumented or outside of their status.