The line of argument about mass immigration into Ireland has been exposed for what it is – irrational and dangerous. Not only is there no objective proof that enlargement will lead to the flood of eastern workers that some have predicted, it is a short-sighted argument. Membership of the European Union will allow the workers of eastern Europe the opportunity to develop their own economies and build brighter futures at home. If anything is testament to the desire of people to grasp opportunities to build a better life at home it is the return to our shores of tens of thousands of Irish people in recent years, brought about by our own economic transformation. The more integrated eastern Europe becomes, the more likely it is to assist in the suppression of illegal immigration.