IRELAND: Some 17,000 holders of work permits and an unknown number of others from EU accession states who are resident in Ireland will be allowed to vote in the forthcoming local government and European Parliament elections as a result of the EU enlargement on Saturday, writes Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent
However, in order to be able to vote, such people must apply before May 24th at their local Garda station to be included in the supplementary electoral register.
In order to vote in the European Parliament elections, a citizen of another EU member-state must also sign a statutory declaration in the presence of a peace commissioner stating that they will not vote in the European Parliament election in their country of origin. They must bring this to the Garda station when applying for inclusion in the supplementary electoral register.
This right to vote is in line with the rights accorded to citizens of existing EU member-states who are resident in Ireland. Non-Irish EU citizens are allowed to vote in local and European elections, but not in general elections or referendums.
After May 1st people from accession states who are currently living and working in Ireland will also be entitled to all the rights of free movement around the EU currently enjoyed by existing EU nationals. They will be entitled to work in Ireland without any requirement to obtain a permit or to register, although many of the existing EU member-states have introduced temporary restrictions on the right of citizens of the new EU states to work.
Their entitlement to receive social welfare payments is to be restricted in line with the amendments to the Social Welfare Bill introduced last month by the Minister for Social Welfare, Ms Coughlan.
Almost 17,000 work permits were granted to people last year from the accession states. A much smaller number of work visas was granted to highly-skilled workers from these states, such as nurses and information technology specialists. From May 1st these people can simply continue to work in Ireland.
It is not known how many people from the EU accession states have been working illegally in Ireland. From May 1st it will be legal for them to work here. However, that does not mean that they are in the clear as regards past illegal working.
According to the Department of Justice, any evidence that people had been working illegally is evidence of a criminal offence by both the employer and employee.
The European Union's ten 10 new member-states may help to break down "the political prison walls" that exist within the EU, Mr Anthony Coughlan of the National Platform has said, writes Mark Hennessy.
"Like inmates in our EU prison, we welcome new companions. We can be confident the new arrivals will help us in time to break down our political prison walls," declared Mr Coughlan, a long-time critic of the EU.