A report from the Economic and Social Research Institute has warned the Irish economy is losing out by failing to fully utilise the education and skills of migrant workers.
Four out of every ten migrant workers have third level education or a specialised trade, but many are forced to take jobs where their skills are effectively wasted, the study says.
Growth in the economy is forecast at between 5.5% and 6% for the next two years in the quarterly analysis, while inflation will remain close to 2%.
Unemployment will continue to drop - from a current level of 4.5% to 4.3%.
However, productivity growth in the economy has slowed substantially from the boom years of the 1990s, the report says.
This ESRI report also examines the increasing house prices in the Borders, Midlands and West regions.
One in every five new homes are holiday homes or second homes bought by people as investments, and then left vacant for much of the year - while many other people cannot afford to buy a home.
The ESRI is suggesting the introduction of a property tax on dwellings used as holiday homes could help ease house prices all round.
