Ireland Crackdown on Illegal Bulgarian Workers

From The Times (UK)

By Mark Tighe and Colin Coyle

Enterprise minister Mary Coughlan has ordered a crackdown on the 5 000 Romanians and Bulgarians suspected of working illegally in Ireland.

Inspectors from the National Employment Rights Authority (Nera) will be given the power to check whether companies have complied with employment-permit legislation. Those found to have hired staff without valid working permits can be fined up to €250,000 or imprisoned for up to 10 years.

The get-tough campaign was revealed in briefing notes prepared for Dara Calleary, the new junior minister at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The note states Nera has to "ensure that all employers are working off a level playing field". To date Nera inspectors have only checked that employers comply with law covering workers' rights such as pay and working conditions.

Ger Deering, director of Nera, said his 78 inspectors are being "trained" and will be authorised to enforce work-permit legislation next month. The agency has a list of 2,000 companies suspected of employing illegal Romanian and Bulgarian workers.

The east-European countries have been part of the EU since 2007 but the government decided new workers coming to Ireland from Romania and Bulgaria would require employment permits at least until 2011.

The crackdown follows a data-sharing exercise between Revenue, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and Coughlan's department. Romanians have been issued with just 281 work permits since 2007, while 66 were given to Bulgarians. But 22,414 Romanians and 1,915 Bulgarians have been given PPS numbers.

"We've been asked by the minister to look into this," said Deering. "There is some confusion among employers who assume because Romania and Bulgaria are part of the EU it entitles them to work here if they have a PPS number. That's not true. We know who these companies are and it is not one particular sector. They have been written to and warned that their staff need permits."

Deering said in excess of 5,000 Romanians and Bulgarians appear to be working for 2,000 companies without the necessary permits. The department recently introduced new regulations making it more difficult for workers from outside the EU to get a work permit.

Non-EU citizens, along with Romanians and Bulgarians, can only apply for permits in certain industries.

All jobs have to be advertised for eight weeks - up from four - to EU citizens before non-EU workers can apply.

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