Written answers

Wednesday, 25 October 2006

Department of Foreign Affairs

EU Enlargement

9:00 am

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the negotiations he has held with his European counterparts with regard to the opening of labour markets to the citizens of Bulgaria following EU accession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34425/06]

Photo of Pádraic McCormackPádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the negotiations he has held with his European counterparts with regard to the opening of labour markets to the citizens of Romania following EU accession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34424/06]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 208: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the preferred options within the EU in relation to immigration from Romania and Bulgaria in the context of enlargement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34839/06]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 123, 145 and 208 together.

As Deputies will be aware, the Government decided yesterday that Ireland would avail of the transitional arrangements with regard to labour market access which are provided for in the EU's Accession Treaty with Bulgaria and Romania. This means that citizens of Bulgaria and Romania will continue to require work permits in order to take up employment here after the two countries accede to the EU in January next.

This decision was taken on the basis of careful consideration of all the issues involved and following consultations with the social partners. We also had extensive contact with other Member States to determine their intentions with regard to labour market access for citizens of Bulgaria and Romania.

Among the Union's pre-2004 members, only Finland — which holds the EU Presidency — has announced that it will allow unrestricted labour market access from the date of accession. Others have indicated that they will impose restrictions and indeed a number of key countries have yet to open up their labour markets to those Member States that acceded in 2004. The British Government, which did not impose any restrictions in 2004, has decided on this occasion to apply a work permit requirement. This British decision was an important consideration in our analysis of the options for Ireland.

On the occasion of the last EU enlargement in 2004, Ireland was one of only three of Member States not to restrict labour market access for citizens of the eight acceding States from Central and Eastern Europe. As a result of this decision, a very large number of people from those countries have come to work here during the past two years. Indeed, Ireland has attracted a disproportionately large number of migrant workers compared with the other two EU countries that opened their labour markets in 2004. For example, we have taken in almost half as many workers as the UK, which has a population 15 times greater than ours.

Against this backdrop, and in the light of the intentions of our EU partners, our decision to continue to require work permits for Bulgarians and Romanians was the prudent and proper course of action to take in this instance. It means that workers from Bulgaria and Romania will be able to come here when they fill a genuine labour market need.

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