President pays tribute to Polish contribution

President Mary McAleese, in the first of a series of meetings with immigrant groups, has paid tribute to the "huge contribution" being made by the Polish community in Ireland.

The arrival of more than 100,000 Polish people, "the largest movement of any nationality into Ireland in modern times", was a key factor in Ireland's continued economic success, Mrs McAleese said.

The President was speaking at a reception yesterday for the Polish community in Ireland, hosted by its embassy in Dublin.

Over the next six months, Mrs McAleese plans to meet representatives of the 10 new EU states who are living in Ireland. More than 100 Poles attended yesterday's reception, ranging from newly arrived immigrants to people who came to Ireland more than 50 years ago.

Mrs McAleese expressed pleasure that so many Polish people had come to invest their hopes and lives in Ireland.

"Your presence here is an opportunity for us to build real and lasting links between Ireland and Poland and to help give practical effect to the European ideal of solidarity between our diverse peoples, who nevertheless share an intrinsic attachment to common values."

She stressed that Polish people here enjoyed the same rights, entitlements and protections as Irish people.

"It is not the case that there is one law for the Polish and one for the Irish. We believe in the absolute importance of respecting the individuality, the dignity, the rights of every person that makes up our society, no matter who they are or from what land they come."

Ireland would be the richer for the presence of Polish people and their skills and culture, she predicted. "I hope you will be the richer and the happier for being here, though I know too, from our own experience of emigration as a people, that the emigrant heart always carries the imprint of home in heartache."

Polish ambassador Witold Sobków praised the President's "gesture of friendship" in attending the reception and noted that Ireland was one of only three EU states to admit citizens of the new members states to work without restrictions.

Poland was grateful for Ireland's generous decision, made in support of European solidarity.

Next month President McAleese plans to meet representatives of the Czech community.