The European Union's highest court has thrown out a claim by an Irish-American man who was denied a jobseekers' allowance in Britain.
The Luxembourg-based Court of Justice ruled against so-called "benefit tourism" whereby citizens can move around the EU seeking higher unemployment payments.
It said residence requirements for such a benefit did not necessarily violate EU laws on the free movement of workers.
The ruling came in the case of Mr Brian Francis Collins, who was born in the United States in 1957 and holds dual Irish and American nationality.
In 1980-81 he spent around 10 months in Britain doing casual and part-time work in pubs, bars and sales, according to the court.
He returned in 1998 to seek work and complained to a British court when his claim for jobseekers' allowance was rejected. The British court referred the case to the European Court of Justice.
The Irish Government recently moved to restrict access to social benefit in the State for EU citizens who may move here in an enlarged European Union. It followed a similar move in Britain.
AP