Despite the work restrictions, many Irish firms will be looking to Bulgaria and Romania to fill the skills shortage, writes Gabrielle Monaghan

As millions of Romanians and Bulgarians took to the streets on New Year's Eve to celebrate European Union membership with fireworks and outdoor parties, Irish employers and recruiters were quietly cheering the expected arrival of thousands of new workers to these shores.

Companies and agencies that benefited from the influx of Poles, Latvians and Lithuanians following the last EU expansion in 2004 are now opening their doors to skilled immigrants from the newest member states.

With Minister for Finance Brian Cowen predicting that 72,000 new jobs will be created this year and that the unemployment rate will remain one of the lowest in the EU, some employers may have to look to the Black Sea states to fill job vacancies.

"It will be a slow start, but with so many jobs being created in the economy, we don't have an option but to welcome them with open arms," says Peter Cosgrove, country manager of Hudson, the recruitment firm. "And it's the people who have made the effort to come to Ireland in the first place that you want to employ."

The number of Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers issued to foreign nationals rose to record levels last year, with 130,000 provided to those from accession states. Of those who registered to work or to access public services here, more than 87,000 were from Poland, 14,800 came from Lithuania and 9,900 were from Slovakia, according to the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

At least 10,000 people from Romania are expected to come to Ireland to seek work this year, according to groups representing Romanians in Ireland.

This is not surprising perhaps, given that the monthly minimum wage in Ireland is €1,064, compared to €219 in Romania and €232 in Bulgaria - a discrepancy that has led to concerns that low-skilled workers from these countries may be exploited by unscrupulous Irish employers.

However, the scale of immigration that followed the last wave of accession prompted the Government to place work restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians. None of the 30 million citizens in the two countries will be automatically entitled to live and work in Ireland, unlike immigrants from the 10 member states that joined in 2004.

Workers from both countries will continue to require work permits, while firms wishing to hire them will have to prove they cannot get staff from other EU states.

"We have already fielded enquiries from employers about this and a lot of them are worrying about the status of their existing employees from these countries," says Heidi Lougheed, social policy executive at employers' body Ibec.

"But it's not impossible to negotiate these rules," she says. "The general rule is that if you want to hire someone from Romania or Bulgaria, you will have to prove that no one else can do that job from the rest of the EU and the European Economic Area, which also includes Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

"If you can prove that, such as by advertising the job with Fás and in national newspapers, the candidate can then apply for a work permit and the Department of Enterprise will consider it. There's quite a stringent test as to how that will work."

If someone from Romania or Bulgaria has been working here legally for 12 months on an uninterrupted basis and they have a work permit, then they won't need a work permit from now on, according to Lougheed. However, she adds: "If they were working here for less than that, they need a permit to bring them up to 12 months. They can also transfer the work permit so a new employer won't need to apply for one."

If an immigrant's spouse or dependant has been legally resident in Ireland and the immigrant has had a valid employment permit for an uninterrupted period of 12 months, the spouse or dependent will not need a work permit.

If they entered the State after January 1st, they will require a permit, but job applicants will not have to undergo a labour market test, such as by advertising in the newspapers and with Fás.

"Even if a job applicant from Romania or Bulgaria has to go through a labour market test, it's not that difficult to advertise a job with Fás for four weeks," Cosgrove says. "And that won't deter anyone who wants to come here."

Workers from the EU's newest member states will be needed most in retail, the services industry and the public sector, as well as in IT, engineering and construction, Cosgrove says.

However, he believes that many employers may be cautious about hiring Romanian and Bulgarian nationals until they have gained a reputation for being as hard-working as the Poles. "From my own point of view, you have this stereotype about the Poles being hard workers, and Romanians and Bulgarians will have to prove what their niche and strengths are," says Cosgrove.

However, Ibec's Lougheed feels that there may not be room for the latest EU citizens in the Irish construction industry and other labour-intensive sectors due to competition from workers coming from the 2004 accession states.

"We have found over the last two years that most of the demand has been met by Poles and, indeed, the Irish, so there isn't a huge need on the labour side," she says.

"There is a growing need for labour but a lot of people are still coming from Poland and Lithuania and that's likely to continue.

"It's on the skilled side that there are particular shortages, and employers there will look to Romania and Bulgaria and even further afield if necessary."

Employers can check whether a foreign national requires an employment permit by calling 01-6313333 or 01-6313308 or Lo-Call 1890-201616 or by e-mailing workpermits@entemp.ie