The Irish Government has relaxed restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian workers allowing them full access to Ireland's labor market, well ahead of the initially set deadline. According to a statement released by the Irish Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on July 20, the EU had previously asked Ireland to examine its labor market and assess whether post accession transitional phase restrictions were still necessary for Romanian and Bulgarian nationals.

Restrictions were due to expire automatically on January 1, 2014, but with the numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians applying for work visas remaining low, the expatriate populations in Ireland falling and the considerable access already allowed for students and the self employed, the Irish Government decided to bring forward the date for full access.

“In recent years an annual average of less than 450 work permit applications from Bulgarian and Romanian nationals have been received, of which an average of 350 were granted annually,” reads the Irish Government's statement. The EU previously pointed out that in countries where restrictions had already been completely lifted, there were no perceivable negative effects on the labor market.

The population of Romanians and Bulgarians living in Ireland fell by 3,000 between 2008 and 2011. The number of people applying for work visas has dropped off dramatically from a high in 2003, when the Irish Government received 3,600 applications for permits from Romanians and Bulgarians.

“It has become clear that the basis for the continuation of restrictions on access to the labor market for remaining categories of Bulgarian and Romanian nationals is questionable. As such, the Government has decided immediately to bring forward the transition date for access to the labor market for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals,” reads the statement from Ireland's Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com

(photo source: sxc.hu)