Foreign staff 'more productive than Irish counterparts'

More than half of businesses which employ foreign workers say they are more productive than their Irish counterparts, according to a leading consultancy firm.

Amarach Consulting said a survey it conducted found that one third of companies which employ migrant workers describe them as more reliable and enthusiastic.

Forty per cent of respondents also said they were hiring more foreign workers because of a lack of applications from Irish job-seekers.