The number of migrant workers from eastern Europe arriving in Ireland continues to reach record levels more than two years after accession, new figures indicate.
An unpublished Government report shows that more migrant workers from new EU members received Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers in the first six months of this year (65,600) than at any other stage since the accession of new EU member states in May 2004.
Figures for the first half of this year show most PPS numbers were issued to Poles (40,323), Lithuanians (7,762), Slovakians (4,808), Latvians (4,099) and Czechs (1,957) Hungarians (1,805).
Overall, since May 2004 some 227,964 people from former accession countries have received PPS numbers. The overall numbers for this period also shows that most PPS numbers were issued to Poles (130,850), Lithuanians (38,104), Latvians (19,280), Slovakians (18,663), Czechs (9,563) and Hungarians (6,662).
These statistics are an indication of migration into Ireland, however, and do not include those who did not sign up for PPS numbers. Similarly, the figures do not show how many with PPS numbers returned to their home country.
Until recently Ireland, the UK and Sweden were the only countries which fully opened their labour markets to workers from new EU states. However, since June, Spain, Finland, Greece and Portugal have also opened their labour markets to workers from former accession states.
While it is at an early stage, latest PPS figures suggest the opening of other labour markets has not yet affected the number of eastern Europeans seeking work here.
Figures also indicate a fraction of migrant workers from new EU states are in receipt of unemployment benefit. Just over 2,000 are on the live register out of almost 230,000 who have registered to work here since May 2004. Other data show that just 960 workers are in receipt of the supplementary welfare allowance.
While it appears the majority are employed, the low level of benefit being paid may also be linked to the habitual residency condition, a welfare restriction imposed by the Government which was aimed at targeting "welfare tourism".
A breakdown of data from the live register shows the vast majority of people on the register are from Ireland (88 per cent), followed by the UK (5 per cent), EU-13, (1 per cent), former accession countries (1 per cent) and non-EU (5 per cent).
Overall, the live register has reduced by 3 per cent since accession in May 2004 to the end of June 2006. The main reason, according to Government documents, was the growth in employment - with the labour force growing by some 87,000 in 2005.
During that time numbers of people from Ireland and the UK on the live register fell by 6 per cent. Those from accession states increased by 376 per cent (from a very low base) and from non-EU states by 81 per cent.