The Government is planning to respond to the needs of the rapidly-growing population of migrant workers and foreign nationals through a new cross-departmental political structure, writes Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent
The issue was discussed by Ministers at the most recent Cabinet meeting in the light of record numbers of migrants arriving here and emerging issues affecting foreign nationals in social welfare, health, education and justice sectors.
Senior Government sources say a number of options are being considered such as appointing a minister of state with responsibility for integration or establishing a special Cabinet committee to help provide a more comprehensive and integrated response to a range of new issues. There is concern within Government at issues relating to foreign nationals such as
• The provision of English language training for school-going children.
• High levels of unemployment among some groups of foreign nationals.
• The implications of immigration on the demand for social housing.
• Demand for the provision of social welfare benefits.
One senior Government source said: "There has been a lot of discussion about it, led by the Taoiseach in particular. It's still at an early stage and no firm decision has been made on the best way forward."
The discussion comes at a time when official figures indicate that more workers from eastern Europe are arriving here at any other time since EU enlargement in May 2004.
More than 250,000 EU migrant workers - mostly from Poland, Latvia and Lithuania - have registered for Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers over the last two years. A record monthly figure of 19,000 workers from new EU states registered to work here in July this year. Census figures, meanwhile, suggest the proportion of foreign nationals here has reached 10 per cent, or 400,000. This is similar to countries such as the UK or US, with much longer histories of immigration.
The lack of planning for the needs and demands of migrants has already taken the Government by surprise in areas such as the provision of so-called family benefits, which must be paid to Irish and EU citizens.
While a number of integration initiatives are under way in areas like the health and justice sectors, there is little overall co-ordination of steps aimed at accommodating diversity in State services and helping minority groups to participate fully in society.
Ireland, along with the UK and Sweden, were the only EU countries to allow migrants from new EU states unrestricted access to their labour markets. Members states, including Ireland, are again deciding whether to impose a ban on working on new migrants from Romania and Bulgaria, the next countries to join the EU.