Crackdown on Romanian and Bulgarian workers

[archigabe]

Crackdown on illegal Romanian and Bulgarian workers

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 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.

[victor8600]

Well, from a legal point of view, Romanian/Bulgarian working without work permits are breaking the law.

On the other hand, if they pay taxes, I have no issue with them working, and I do not see why anybody would mind. I think it is of waste of taxpayers money to employ additional bureaucrats to go hunting for these "illegal workers". An it seems that Nera will catch those unfortunates who are paying taxes (Revenue), or Social Insurance (DSFA). This will just drive them underground, to work without paying taxes or PPS.