80,000 arrive from new EU states

Tha Gopher

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1388165&issue_id=12416

IRELAND'S welcome to new members of the expanded European Union last year has been taken up literally by thousands of citizens from the 10 new member states.

Figures show that almost as many new immigrants chose to make Ireland their new home as they did the UK, which has a population 15 times greater than ours.

Just three of the 15 'old' members of the EU opted to fully open their borders to workers from the new countries on their first day of membership - Sweden, Britain and Ireland.

And while just over 4,000 people moved to Sweden and 90,000 went to the UK, an astonishing 80,000 new EU citizens have moved to Ireland in the year following last May's EU enlargement.

Poles accounted for more than 35,000 of the new arrivals into Ireland, while at the other end of the scale just 29 Cypriots left their sun-kissed Mediterranean island for our windswept shores.

Department of Family and Social Affairs figures show that 75,312 people from the 10 new EU states applied for personal public service (PPS) numbers in the 11 months to the end of March. April figures are expected to show a further 5,000 applications.

But far from leading to a drain on our state welfare services as some had predicted, most of the new arrivals seem to have found work or taken up full-time education.

In fact, net immigration into Ireland is expected to continue to fuel a population boom over the next half century, with the total population of the island, North and South, set to hit seven million - still short of the eight million inhabitants in Ireland before the Great Famine.

BTW move this if appropriate



Without wishing to start a Johnny Foreigner tirade, or better yet get a "reregister with boards.ie and get on this thread lads" thread over on Stormfront, does anyone else agree that like most of the rest of the EU we should have set limits?
I have nothing against the people, rather the system and the employers in this country. I have been actively seeking work since around the end of February. In that time, out of maybe 30 applications to local places around here (mainly shops, supermarkets, fast food outlets) I have had 2 face to face interviews and one over the phone interview that promises me a real one within an unspecified time period (thanks guys, thats real helpful :rolleyes: ).
I dont mean to sound like a stormfronter, but any other unemployed person will know the feeling of going into a place you have applied in and are a regular customer at, and being served by a person with poor English who is obviously a new recruit because you frequent the establishment and have never seen them before. Their lack of English would indicate that they have been here a very short time, and without resenting them personally, you feel as if the store managment has allowed them to skip the queue so to speak. It isnt a race thing, its a jobs issue. I couldnt care less if in 2050 5% of Dublins population has a surname ending in "ski". Infact, its not even an issue, seeing as most Poles ive ever talked to want to go home as soon as they make a nice amount of money here, which can be spoent on alot more stuff back home what with the cheaper cost of living. Its the importing of people into a country where the natives have trouble finding menial work that gets me. I know quite a few people who took months just to get a job behind the counter in a shop or whatever

iIts menial labour, its not as if they were more qualified than you. My mother knows someone who runs a newsagents in Dublin for a particular chain, and she says that these days they only hire foreigners because they regard them as more punctual than the Irish. Im punctual as a working clock. I am immune to hangovers. Fair enough, you dont put "i can drink 14 pints and get up for work in the mornin fresh as a daisy" on the CV (or should I ) but isnt there some law against this? That foreigners can only fill jobs that the employer can prove no suitable Irish candidates have applied for? I have applied to Dunnes Stores 4 times, including once via post, and not even a no thanks response, yet when I go in there i see more new foreign staff.
It just seems ludicrous to me that there are Nigerian children hiding out somewhere in Westmeath tonight for fear of deportation in order to keep the numbers down, yet we are letting a load of adults flood into fill positions we desperately need for ourselves. Yes, there are positions that the Irish are relectant to fill. Young people dont want to work the bars in nightclubs, or anywhere Friday/Saturday night for that matter. Yes, the building trade does need more labourers (im gettin a safe pass when i get the cash for one). But I am fairly certain there are enough young unemployed irish people willing to stack shelves in Dunnes. Hell, Im one of them and i dont get a word back. I cant even claim dole for christ sake because Im an IT student, its ****ing ridicilous. Its so annoying when you see on the news that so many thousand jobs were created last month.....I didnt see any of them!

WhiteWashMan

well, if you are talking about a political stance on immigration, i would have to say that i would go for the australian policy of being really tough on immigration.

while i am in no way racist, and while i agree that people should have the right to improve their own lives, i also believe that a county has the right to close its boarders and have a strict criteria with regards to who it lets in.

i have no problem with the additional of ethnic minorities, or of different cultures, i also believe that a good melting pot fo cultures is good. the uk is good example of this. i think ireland has suffered terribly through not having a great mix of cultures, and is probably one of the most insular and inward and bigoted cultures i have lived in. the irish are a pretty racist bunch to be honest.
but, at the same time, i do not believe ever tom dick and pavel nedved should be allowed into the country because they feel like living somewhere different.

i would like people to prove they can bring something to the country that cannot be done by an existing citizen. i think otherwise you get a national sense of resentment towards foreigners that is not ultimately justified.

Dr. Dre

That figure is nothing short of disgusting.

*not racist or xenophobic

CJhaughey

I would have to say that most businesses have opted for non-national workers primarily because they don't see Irish Nationals as being as hard-working as the immigrants.
Lets face it most young people (not all)are just used to having a good time and living it up. Not what most employers want especially in so called "menial" jobs.
faced with the option of mick turning up bleary eyed on saturday morning to serve customers or Pavel turning up fresh and keen, Who would you choose?
I am not suggesting for one minute that all young irish are heavy drinkers but the motivation that drives a person to emigrate from his/her home country into a foreign country where english may not be their first language and work is a strong incentive to work hard and make money.
Irish people going to the US have always done so, and will always continue to do so as long as they are legal.
AFAIK as long as they come here behave, work and pay their taxes they are more than welcome.
I would say that if you took a poll from small businesses they would say that non-national's are harder working and more reliable.
I have personally spoken to an employer in an industry where Irish people are now the minority workforce , and he said he would prefer to employ other nationalities over Irish because they turn up for work, Irish tend to miss this weekend and not turn up until late etc etc
Can you blame them?

mike65

The reason employers will hire Poles etc above Irish is simple enough. They know the east European will work hard and actually turn up for work on Monday morning and not throw a sickie on Friday afternoon before a bank holliday weekend. In my experience the many Poles here are unfailingly polite and good with ppl even if the language ocassionaly beats them.

While its wrong to suggest the natives are all "sure twil do" drunks, the young of this country have an increasingly bad reputation. A fresh faced young man or woman from Hungary or Poland will seem the safer bet.

Mike.

Our man in Havana

That foreigners can only fill jobs that the employer can prove no suitable Irish candidates have applied for? I have applied to Dunnes Stores 4 times, including once via post, and not even a no thanks response, yet when I go in there i see more new foreign staff.

I agree here. Prehaps you should report Dunnes to the Labour court and they would have to prove no suitable Irish people applied. Were these jobs advertised thru FAS? If not they could be on a hiding to a big fine.

penexpers

Tha Gopher wrote:

but isnt there some law against this? That foreigners can only fill jobs that the employer can prove no suitable Irish candidates have applied for? I have applied to Dunnes Stores 4 times, including once via post, and not even a no thanks response, yet when I go in there i see more new foreign staff.

Thankfully, no such law exists here.

Our man in Havana

penexpers wrote:

Thankfully, no such law exists here.

Oh yes there is such a law. Its supposed to proect the indiginous irish ppl.

penexpers

URL? I don't think the EU would allow it?

mike65

Restrictions only apply for non EU immigrants as far as I know.

http://www.skillclear.co.uk/ireland/workPermits.asp

Mike.

Kevok

I'm glad, and somewhat proud of Ireland that we didn't close the gates on the accession states when they joined. The figure isn't all that suprising, our economy is still strong at the moment and Ireland's population growth isn't high enough to support that growth.

As for that law mentioned. It doesn't apply in this case as they are now EU citizens and as such (despite the restrictions by the 12 other states) are entitled to come to Ireland to find work. It's true though, that immigrants from outside the EU must get work or enrol in a course before coming over.

Tha Gopher

penexpers wrote:

Thankfully, no such law exists here.

Thankfully?

Mind if I have your job pal? Because Im having a bit of difficulty getting one due to a system you support

IMO one of the main problems seems to be that alot of foreigners have bought franchise rights for chain restaurents here and are filling them up with their mates from back home. I have no concrete proof, but in nearly every Abrakebabra in Dublin Ive went to the manager and all his staff are of the same nationality (mainly chinese). Are you honestly telling me not one Irish person applied for the jobs available there? I know a Burger King with the same story, the manager and about three quarters of the staff are Pakistani, judging by their features and their muslim names, with the rest chinese and one East European. It really shouldnt be allowed that a foreign manager can give all the jobs to his friends from back home, unless of course its a chef specialising in food from that country (and lets face it, BK isnt exactly the traditional staple of the Peshawar valley is it). I cant be arsed with racism, I hate **** regardless of colour, but with this type of thing going on its easy to see how ill feeling can rear its head. I dont exactly blame them for taking my potential job, after all if i could pull it off abroad I probably would, I blame Bertie et al for allowing them to do it, as well as the managers who are allowed to bin the applications of Irish applicants because their cousin just called saying hes coming over in a fortnight and needs work. Its madness

I am lucky in that I have savings in the bank due to a small inheritance I recieved upon turning 18, but if I hadnt recieved it I would have zero income bar the 140 odd my mother gets per month in child benefit. Im not eligible for a grant because Im the only dependant and both my parents are earning. Sorry, but if i didnt have those savings I would by now have resorted to illegal measures to have a life at the weekend. Even now i have to watch my spending- its so annoying having to down a pile before arriving in a nightclub, carrying naggins, tryna have as good of a night on 40 quid as someone who can blow 90 and not think twice about it. Next time you criticise somebody you see in the paper for selling drugs or scamming this that and the other, consider whether they were actually able to obtain legitimate work or were denied benefits. In all honesty, without my savings I would have resorted to something dodgy, and i can fully emphasise with anyone who does

It is indeed a vicious circle. After all, we Irish used to arrive in the US and undercut the established people in the northern cities in the job market. Later, the Italians arrived and did it to us. Then the blacks migrated from the south and did it to both groups, and after that the hispanics did it to them! Just so happens that unfortunately ive been born into a generation that has to be undercut by others.

m1ke

We've reached full employment. Anyone who can't get a job in this economic climate either is lacking basic competence or is unwilling to take on a minimum wage job. We need immigrants badly to continue the economic boom - 80,000 is a good start.

Anyone who wants the immigration to stop and the state to step in and artificially create high paying jobs for them is incompetent and foolish. Some people on this thread seem to think that the world owes them a living - a lesson that many immigrants have learned - which is why many are so successful and entrepeneurial.

nahdoic

This thread disgusts me and is just sour grapes.

Have you offered to work a week free of charge so you can show an employer that you are more reliable, puntcual, hard working and eager to get the job done than non-nationals?

I know i wouldn't hire you because as soon as you got a better job elsewhere you would be up and outta there so fast, and then i'd have to retrain someone else to do the job.

You're an IT student so I'm assuming you have some skills. Go contact businesses ask them what their big 'it headaches' are and go solve them. Get up off your arse.

Sangre

Only employing Irish first is actually the complete opposite of EU laws.

the_syco

Gopher, what are you qualified in?

=-=

I've worked alongside foreingers in most of my jobs: in the kitchens of a restraunt, in a shop, in a tech support centre, in a credit union, in a fast food place. They were black, brown, and white (just cos they're white, doesn't mean they're Irish!). Most of them were hard-working, but the ones that weren't (2 Italian guys were lazy as hell, and the odd chinese "didn't know" english when it suited them) were the same as the Irish with their laziness.

=-=

Its all about what you've done, and how you present yourself. If you go in and apply for a job in trakkies, you've wasted your time. Every job I've got, I've applied for it either in a suit, slacks + shirt, or jeans(not the half-worn "fashinonable" ones) + plain t-shirt.

=-=

Want a job? Apply in a large pub or a nightclub. Do it for 6 months. And then go for a job that you want, using the 6 months as a refrence. Without a refrence, most employers won't look at you, and most pubs will take on the Irish lad rather than the foreigner, as the Irish lad speaks english, and thus can take the orders, etc.

the_syco

Sangre wrote:

Only employing Irish first is actually the complete opposite of EU laws.

Only employing any of the following is against the law:
men
Irish
white people

=-=

Only employ any of the following is legal:
women
foreigners
coloured people.

=-=

Its not racism, its fact. As the saying goes "only a white man cannot sue for discrimmination".

Sangre

No, thats illegal aswell.

dahamsta

I don't have any problem with the people coming in as long as they're looking for and getting jobs, which seems to be the case. The one thing that does piss me off is the language issue; I think a condition of employment should be a general understanding of the english language. Unfortunately employers aren't going to do that because the majority that are employing immigrants are doing it so they can pay minimum wage. Which only leaves legislative change, and I wouldn't envy the TD that tried to introduce that...

adam

egan007

The reason you guys don't have jobs is because you are the kind of person who thinks you are better than a foreigner

pickarooney

m1ke wrote:

We've reached full employment. Anyone who can't get a job in this economic climate either is lacking basic competence or is unwilling to take on a minimum wage job.

I take it you didn't read the first post where Tha Gopher describes his difficulties getting so much as an interview over six months for a minimum wage job?

egan007 wrote:

The reason you guys don't have jobs is because you are the kind of person who thinks you are better than a foreigner

Did the poster say or do anything to give you that impression or is it some random soundbite you thought you'd share with the world?

nahdoic wrote:

This thread disgusts me and is just sour grapes.

You're disgusted by someone who can't get so much as a job stacking shelves expressing dismay at being left behind and jobless in an ever more expensive country and no sign of it getting any better? Diddums.

Have you offered to work a week free of charge so you can show an employer that you are more reliable, puntcual, hard working and eager to get the job done than non-nationals?

Yeah, I imagine you've done that yourself and it worked a charm. Meanwhile in the real world...

egan007

Oh jesus - you are the guy everyone loves to hate
Let me guess - short bald and angry....

nesf

Eh. This is a complex one.

We have not reached full employment. I can back this up with figures, but I'm tired and such. Plus anyone who has been in and out of work for the past 5 or so years can tell you that it is a very different situation now then it was then. It is a lot harder to find work today than it was in 2000. Not impossible, and very doeable, but it is harder and there is far less jobs out there than there was for people.

(I am speaking from personal experience, but mostly from watching the people I know searchign very hard for work in recent years and having a lot of trouble finding it. It is there, Burger King is always hiring but a lot of the unqualified/unskilled/low paid work that was there in 2000 is not there now. People with solid qualifications were doing about as well now as they were in 2000 though, so it does seem to me that it is not in the professional or craftsmen areas that jobs are lacking but in unskilled labour. The above is totally anecdotal evidence though, I'm just talking from personal experience and not stats.)

To an extent the drop in available unskilled jobs available is down to immigration, but I don't think that it's fair or right to be critical of immigration because of it. The immigrants I know are hard working, and trying very hard to fit into this country. Their English improves daily if they weren't already fluent. A lot of the arguments above in other posts are really not looking at this from a realistic perspective.

Personally I'm in favour of very strict immigration laws. Not from a rascist or xenophobic sense, I love the culture that immigrants bring to this country and I think it is definitely for the best. But open borders just lead to trouble. There needs to be some regulation and quota in place to ensure that there isn't a situation where we have over immigration into this country.

However, to be honest, there is work there if you look for it. This of course only really applies in the urban areas. It's an old and worn out argument, but there is plenty of **** work in fast food places that anyone could get. Or at least should be able to get. Pride is a bitch, but if there wasn't a welfare system in place, I guarantee you there wouldn't be many jobs available in fast food places.

So immigrants may be making it a little tougher to find unskilled work. Eh. Welcome to the real world. We have a sucessful and growing economy, people will want to live and work here. We can't just say stop and **** off back where you came from now can we? The whole argument that because we had high emmigration in the past we have no right to bitch about immigration now is not a strong or valid one. But we are a member of the EU. Immigration will happen. Live with it.

Our man in Havana

But immigration should not be to the detriment of the Irish people. Let the Irish have first refusal on all jobs, if no irish want them by all means let the immigrants have them.

Davey Devil

Bond-007 wrote:

But immigration should not be to the detriment of the Irish people. Let the Irish have first refusal on all jobs, if no irish want them by all means let the immigrants have them.

Yeah lets stick up no dogs, no blacks, no europeans signs too. :rolleyes:

They have just as much right to a job as an Irish person. The European Union built this country and now you want to turn it's citizens away? People have to get used to the fact they we are not living in Ireland we are living in Europe.

nesf

Bond-007 wrote:

But immigration should not be to the detriment of the Irish people. Let the Irish have first refusal on all jobs, if no irish want them by all means let the immigrants have them.

Yeah, solid start.

but lets do it right while we're at it.

Let's give every Irish person with a mental or physical disability first refusal on all jobs first. They are after all not really on a level playing field with everyone else and could do with the leg up, you know.

Positive Discrimination, the way forwards for society and all of us.

Sangre

If you have trouble finding work go to another EU state, its what they're there for.

Saruman

80,000?? Thats all? We need some more fresh blood here!!!
Anyone who complains about it.. well just wait.. if you ever decide to move to another country you will rant on about not being able to get a visa or work permit there...

Regardless if what anyone says in the thread, anyone who is of the oppinion that we Irish (of all people) should not allow people in IS in face being prejudice.
anyway did you ever think the reason you cant get a job and a foreigner can is because.. oh shock hoprror... they are more qualified than you??? Other EU countries have education too you know!! Czech people i know are eager to learn... especially English.. if they make a mistake they expect you to correct them.. just like if you make a mistake trying their language they will correct you. Its the willigness to embrace new culture and learning that makes them ideal for employers. Leaving some irish people to do what they do best.. go on the internet and rant on expecting sympathy from other Irish people too bloody lazy to do any work. Im in work right now... am i working??? Obviously not

johnnyc

i would say no they are welcome to ireland if they are not just doing it for the dole anyway they have to work is it 2 years before they are entitled to that

lomb

Bond-007 wrote:

But immigration should not be to the detriment of the Irish people. Let the Irish have first refusal on all jobs, if no irish want them by all means let the immigrants have them.

thats called discrimination......

in any case joining europe created this monster and unfortunately u cant pick and choose what u want, u have to take all of the monster and accept it.

pickarooney

nesf wrote:

Yeah, solid start.

but lets do it right while we're at it.

Let's give every Irish person with a mental or physical disability first refusal on all jobs first. They are after all not really on a level playing field with everyone else and could do with the leg up, you know.

Positive Discrimination, the way forwards for society and all of us.

So instead of a workforce peopled by Johnny Foreigners, you want mongs and crips running the show? Where would we/you be headed?

What? What did I say wrong? Hello? Come back people, I was just...

WhiteWashMan

take it down a peg pickarooney.

if you cant at least back up your opinions with a decent argument, to resort to stupid bigoted remarks like the above.

pickarooney

Sorry, it wasn't particularly amusing - I thought nesf was taking the proverbial and follwed suit. I don't actually have an opinion as I don't care who lives and works in Ireland.

nesf

pickarooney wrote:

Sorry, it wasn't particularly amusing - I thought nesf was taking the proverbial and follwed suit. I don't actually have an opinion as I don't care who lives and works in Ireland.

No. I was turning the statement around.

Discrimintation doesn't taste so good when it's not in your favour does it?

WhiteWashMan

you were being facetious, pickarooney was being unfunny.

kiss and make up, or take it away funboys...

Eoghan-psych

Kevok wrote:

I'm glad, and somewhat proud of Ireland that we didn't close the gates on the accession states when they joined. The figure isn't all that suprising, our economy is still strong at the moment and Ireland's population growth isn't high enough to support that growth.

As for that law mentioned. It doesn't apply in this case as they are now EU citizens and as such (despite the restrictions by the 12 other states) are entitled to come to Ireland to find work. It's true though, that immigrants from outside the EU must get work or enrol in a course before coming over.

I agree. Here in the UK this is a hot-button issue.

Thing is, the hysteria is urinated on by the figures. Of the thousands of people who came from the accession states, 21 claimed welfare.

Most of the jobs filled by immigrants were vacant prior to their arrival - i.e. they came to the jobs, not the other way round. That means - for all those in the "they're stealing our jobs" brigade that.....wait for it.......you haven't a leg to stand on.

Make yourself as attractive to employers as immigrants do, and you'll get those "stolen" jobs back.

Eoghan-psych

pickarooney wrote:

I take it you didn't read the first post where Tha Gopher describes his difficulties getting so much as an interview over six months for a minimum wage job?.

One must wonder why, in the day and age of FAS, FETAC, free-fees and the multitude of other schemes in Ireland that he is still stuck.

Eoghan-psych

Sangre wrote:

If you have trouble finding work go to another EU state, its what they're there for.

Exactly. Here in the UK there are in the region of half a million vacant positions. Ryanair will move you over for less than the cost of a coffee.

WhiteWashMan

Eoghan-psych wrote:

That means - for all those in the "they're stealing our jobs" brigade that.....wait for it.......you haven't a leg to stand on.

would they be the disbaled people that nesf mentioned?

hohoho

mike65

This shows how far we have to go regarding work and mobility. In the States they have, for generations got up off thier arses and headed to wherever the jobs were. Here (in Europe) we all think "hell this country owes me a job" No it does'nt.

Mike.

WhiteWashMan

well, i dont know how regional it is, but i can tell you that i definately see a 'the world owes me a favour' attitude from the generation that followed me.

nesf

WhiteWashMan wrote:

well, i dont know how regional it is, but i can tell you that i definately see a 'the world owes me a favour' attitude from the generation that followed me.

Agreed.

I blame it on them growing up in a happy country.

Versus the 70/80's which wasn't a happy place.

Kids these days expect mobile phones and X-box's! When I was young I was lucky if I saw a chocolate bar once a week.

I tell's ya, a bunch of yuppie good for nothings they are!

mike65

I feel a Python sketch coming on!

In my post above I was really refering to the "rust belt goes south west" phenomenon, literally millions of ppl from the Great Lakes area moved to Arizona, New Mexico, California over 20 years. Indeed the middle of the USA is continuing to empty at a pretty rapid rate with states like North and South Dakota and Nebraska shrinking, mind you I'd leave any of those states so bad is the weather.

Mike.

IDMUD

As for the language difficulties of foreigners;

I am one myself, I'm moving in a couple of weeks and while my writing and reading may be as fluent as any native I can have a hard time pronouncing words and understanding some of the thicker Irish accents. Keep in mind that understanding Irish will be difficult no-matter where they're from, even the UK or north America.

Just wanted to chime in on the hating

WhiteWashMan

hating?

i dont think anyone has advocated a hatred towards anyone.

there may be some intolerance based on some perceived job stealing, but not hatred.
that would insinuate racism, and i hate racism.

MrC

Since when has not speaking good English been a problem in this country? Most of the natives have only a rudimentary understanding of the language.

Raggamuffin

i've only one major problem with alot of the immigrants and it's their idea of ireland as just this little island they can cash in on and then go home better off.

Which means alot of the immigrants don't like to learn the language and this can be quite irritating seeing as this would not be accpetable in non/english speaking countries.

i lvoe the ethnic diversity it's alot better than half the scum that walked around dublin well before , and after, our supposed economic upturn.

On the point of getting a job i've always found perseverence to be the key. I work for a respectable retailer which i got fairly easily. I don't see the porblem. You're obviously doing something wrong.

Eoghan-psych

Raggamuffin wrote:

i've only one major problem with alot of the immigrants and it's their idea of ireland as just this little island they can cash in on and then go home better off.

Why shouldn't they? While they're here, *we* benefit from *them* and *they* benefit from *us*. It's win-win.

That's what the EU is all about.

You are more than welcome, for example, to go to other EU countries and cash in on their extremely low costs of living [which are often matched by *standards* of living equivalent to Ireland]. That way, *you* benefit from *them* and *they* benefit from *you*. Win win.

Jumpy

I agree. This is supposed to be working towards a 'one europe' system.
Things should level out eventually.
Face it, you are part of the European union.

Not to mention the eastern european women are generally exotically stunning. Nice to have a bit of variety around the place.

xxx jack

i think yere all missing the point ,the reason a lot of employers are hiring forign nationals is that they get away with paying them well below irish rates and they can do this legaly by putting them on the books as trainees. if you take the construction industary for example , the developers are raking in bigger and bigger profits every year as property prices rise but workers wages are droping i know this as fact as im a carpenter and ive experienced this first hand my wages have dropped 40 euro a day which is 200 euro a week in the last 4 years,and if ur unlucky enough to loose ur job to a forign national and have to sign on youll find that refugees are entitled to a lot more than you. these are some of the reasons racism is on the increse in ireland today.

eth0_

Bond-007 wrote:

Oh yes there is such a law. Its supposed to proect the indiginous irish ppl.

I think this only applies if the person who took "your" job is non-European.

The figure of 80,000 is pretty flabberghasting alright. I actually thought it would have been more. I wonder will it get to a point where the governments in the UK and Ireland have to put a cap on year-to-year immigration from Eastern European countries - they don't seem too inclined to work in any country other than the UK and Ireland.

I don't think they are taking "our" jobs, however. Irish teenagers wouldn't be seen dead working in Spar or McDonalds these days, and you either have a surly Irish teen, or a surly/broken English Pole/Latvia etc.