Britons top Poles in applications to work

FOR the first time in five years, the number of Polish people arriving to Ireland seeking work or welfare has been exceeded by the number of arrivals from Britain.

An analysis by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the number of foreign nationals allocated personal public service numbers (PPSN) shows that in 2009, British allocations stood at 14,000 compared to 13,800 for Poland.

Polish interest in Ireland peaked in 2006, with more than 93,600 PPSN allocations, and dropped dramatically to less than 14,000 by 2009, reflecting Ireland’s growing economic crisis.