Last month's EU enlargement saw the number of applications for unemployment assistance from citizens of the 10 new accession countries rise by only 97 in May this year, compared to the same month last year, new figures have shown.
Speaking last February about Government measures restrict- ing benefits for immigrants, the Minister for Social Welfare, Ms Coughlan, said they were aimed at "welfare tourists", who might think it was a "soft option to come to Ireland to get welfare benefits."
However, the Department of Social and Family Affairs received only 130 applications for unemployment assistance between May 1st and June 10th of this year from citizens of the 10 accession countries.
When combined with other applications, including those for child benefit and non-contributory pensions, this brings the total number of applications to approximately 150.
This compares with 52 such applications during the equivalent period last year, but represents half of 1 per cent of the total 28,000 applications received last month.
Last month's increase might partly be due to the fact that some of those applying are former asylum seekers who now have the right to seek assistance here. As a result, the numbers may "level off" again in coming months.
Under a Government initiative, from May 1st of this year, applicants for a range of social assistance payments and child benefit must be confirmed as having been "habitually resident" in this country to qualify for payment. This includes applicants for unemployment assistance, which is means-tested, although it excludes unemployment benefit, which is based on previous PRSI contributions or their equivalent.
However, a spokeswoman for the Department of Social and Family Affairs said that while the introduction of the residency requirement did have an impact on the figures, it seemed unlikely to be a major factor.
"Previous to this, the opinion of most people was that people from the accession countries would be coming here to work," she said. "The figures would suggest that the vast majority are indeed coming here to work. The 'floodgates' don't seem to have opened, and people are not coming here willy-nilly."
The figures also reveal that 61 of the applications lodged with the Department have been successful, indicating that those individuals applying for assistance are genuinely entitled to it. The remainder of the applications are either pending a decision or are awaiting further information.
The news that, despite the addition of some 75 million new citizens to the population of the EU, there has not been a significant increase in the numbers of individuals seeking welfare assistance here has been welcomed by immigrant groups.
Ms Denise Charlton, chief executive of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, said the new figures indicated that the Government had over-reacted in introducing restrictions on benefits for immigrants.
It had, she said, given in to pressure on the matter, and the figures contradicted the "distorted" image that immigrants were coming here to exploit the welfare system.
"The myth that someone wants to come here and exploit our social welfare system is just not true," she said. "People come here to work, and want to work."
She called on the Government to continue to monitor the figures, and if the small number of applications for welfare persisted, to consider removing the need for "habitual residence".
"Habitual residence" normally means the place which has become the individual's home, and is determined according to a range of criteria, with no single factor being conclusive.