Opposition parties today condemned the Government's new restrictions on welfare payments for EU migrants as "excessive and alarmist."
Labour's spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs, Mr Willie Penrose said the number of people unfairly penalised by the new conditions would outweigh those seeking to take advantage of the social welfare system.
He said: "The appropriate and courageous course would have been for the government to adhere to the original decision made that there would be no restrictions and to keep the situation under review after May 1st.
"Instead the government has surrendered to alarmist headlines about 'benefit tourists' and has slavishly copied the restrictions imposed by the British authorities," Mr Penrose said.
Fine Gael also dismissed the new restrictions as an attack on the fundamental benefits of EU membership.
Former taoiseach Mr John Bruton said yesterday's announcement from the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Mary Coughlan, went against the "fundamental benefit" of a "single free market for work".
"Ireland has been part of such a free market for work since 1973, and now that we are ourselves at last enjoying some prosperity thanks to that market, we intend to close it off to others," Mr Bruton said.
"This is not about asylum seekers. It is aimed at EU citizens seeking work in the EU," he said.
Under the new rules, non-Irish European citizens will have to live in Ireland or the UK for at least two years before being entitled to social assistance, child benefit and a range of other welfare payments Ms Coughlan said last night.
The new restrictions are in line with those announced recently in the UK, she said. They are in part a response to Government fears that the accession of 10 new members to the EU on May 1st could lead to a significant number of their citizens coming here to draw welfare payments.