THE IRISH economy will still have a strong demand for immigrant labour after the current downturn, according to Minister of State for Integration Conor Lenihan.
It was also "incorrect" to say immigrant labour was "undercutting" Irish labour, he said yesterday at a function in Co Galway.
Mr Lenihan was speaking in Tuam where he published a research report on diversity, which shows that 12 per cent of the population are non-Irish, according to 1996 Census figures.
"The volume of people will now settle down, hopefully to a level that's more manageable."
This week's reported drop in numbers of eastern and central European immigrants registering to work, or to gain access to public services, reflects a trend which was evident last year, he said.
The 50 per cent drop in immigration was not unlike the drop in the numbers of houses being built in Ireland this year, he said.
There was still net immigration, but the drop had been noticeable from last summer. An analysis of live register figures for August 2007 - which did not show a corresponding increase in September 2007, he said - indicated a number of people employed in construction had moved to London or back to Poland.
Other figures showed a 100 per cent rise, from a low base, in the number of immigrants signing on for dole in the last week to fortnight, Mr Lenihan said. This had increased from 16,000 to 32,000, and included English people based here and signing on.
Mr Lenihan added that of all the new jobs being created in Ireland this year, some 90 per cent were being taken by non-Irish.
"Even last night, I was in Galway city and one of the hoteliers there was telling me of their preparations for the Galway race week. This particular hotelier was hiring 140 extra staff for race week, and only 20 Irish people ultimately ended up taking some of those 140 jobs."
This showed that even if there was a "one-year or two-year downturn, we will have an ongoing need for migrant labour into the future", he said.
On the recent controversy over provision of English-language services, Mr Lenihan said that the State and the Department of Education were "mainstreaming" the provision of this service through the Vocational Education Committee network.
"We obviously need more by way of adult English learning, whether that be online or otherwise through the private sector as well, due to the new mandatory requirement for permanent residency," said the Minister.
Mr Lenihan paid tribute to Tuam Community Development Resource Centre for publishing the research on needs for newcomers, entitled Tuam: A Town of Many Nations.
