An independent study finds people from EU accession countries have not displaced Irish workers from jobs.
The research was carried out by the independent not for profit research agency the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), and a team of Swedish researchers.
People from Poland make up half of the workers who have come to Ireland from European Union (EU) accession countries.
Workers from other countries have not supplanted Irish workers, but wage growth has slowed since their arrival here. Professor Gerry Hughes from the ESRI is not concerned,
That is within the normal experience.
Researchers also found that employment rights cases like the Gama Construction and Irish Ferries cases are the exception rather than the norm in Ireland.
In addition, it emerged that when workers from accession countries do not find employment here, they tend to leave.
The Irish government has yet to make a decision on opening our borders to workers from Romania and Bulgaria.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 26 May 2006. The reporter is David Murphy.
