The Government has received private assurances that Irish people living in the UK would not be affected by any moves to restrict EU migrants’ access to the British welfare system.

Irish sources confirmed the assurances were provided by senior British figures when Dublin raised concerns about prime minister David Cameron’s hopes of restricting EU migrants’ benefits.

According to the Guardian yesterday, the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, provided explicit assurances to Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan on two occasions in the past year that Irish migrants would not be affected by any welfare changes.

Citing official documents, the newspaper said the issue was also discussed at a meeting between Mr Cameron and Taoiseach Enda Kenny in June.

Benefit claims

According to the British government, 14,070 Irish nationals claims working-age benefits, such as jobseeker's allowance. According to the Department of Social Protection, 11,991 British nationals are on Ireland's Live Register.

A change to welfare eligibility rules for foreigners was one of four key areas outlined this week by Mr Cameron as the basis for renegotiating the UK’s relationship with the EU ahead of a referendum on continued membership in the union.

Mr Cameron proposed that people coming to Britain from the rest of the EU should have to wait four years before they qualify for in-work benefits or social housing. He also wants to stop sending child-benefit payments overseas.

Irish officials believe three of the prime minister’s demands – protection of the single market, boosting competitiveness and exempting Britain from “ever closer union” – will pose relatively few problems. However, any attempt to close access to the British welfare system will run into difficulties.

Deep nerve

In an address to London’s Chatham House in September, Mr Flanagan said any changes to welfare provisions could be difficult.

This is because “the very perception – whether it’s right or wrong – of the citizens of one member state being treated differently from another touches a nerve deep within the EU’s common ethos”.

He said this could be “a difficult hurdle to overcome, depending on how it’s approached”.

Tánaiste Joan Burton recently warned that “fairness must be front and centre” in any new EU deal on welfare. She added that the Government would not support proposals that would fundamentally undermine the principle of free movement within the EU.