Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I welcome the initiative to have this focused debate in the Dáil on the European Union. I hope it will continue and that other states follow suit.

It seems strange that 3% of our workforce — 62,000 — are from the ten accession countries, reflecting fewer than half the number that came to this country since 2004. That consists of less than a third of all non-nationals working in this country. There seems to be much circular migration on a very rapid basis. Will this factor influence the Government's decision in allowing Bulgarian and Romanian workers full access to the workplace? In his remarks yesterday, the Taoiseach was vague about supporting a particular date for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania.

See this speech in context