Ahern says immigration needs to slow in Ireland

By Jodie Ginsberg

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Migration to Ireland cannot continue at its current rate if the country is to integrate successfully the thousands of newcomers eager for a slice of its growing wealth, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said on Monday.

Ireland, once one of Europe's poorest countries and for decades a major exporter of labour, has enjoyed more than ten years of stellar growth, fuelled by unprecedented immigration.

Immigrants have gone from making up about one percent of the population ten years ago to around 10 percent at present.

"Could it continue to develop from 10 to 20 percent? No it can't," Ahern told a Reuters Newsmaker event in which he laid out his party's main economic objectives for the next five years.

Ahern and his Fianna Fail party are seeking a third consecutive term in office in a general election on May 24.

"In one way or other as the economy moderates so immigration has to moderate so we can get integration right," Ahern said.

He did not say what level of immigration would be right for Ireland, whose economy is predicted to grow by around 5.3 percent this year -- about double that of the euro zone. However, growth is expected to slow to 4 percent next year, a Reuters poll of economists showed on Sunday.

Ireland was one of the few EU countries that opened its borders in 2004 to workers from new members such as Poland -- many of whom came to work in the country's construction sector, but it has now imposed limits for the latest EU newcomers.

The EU expanded to 27 nations at the start of this year with the addition of Bulgaria and Romania. Ireland introduced a permit scheme for workers from those countries, arguing it was time for other European countries to do their bit.

The influx of a large number of immigrants, including many from central and eastern Europe, has not become a major political issue. However, there has been some debate about how Ireland would cope when the economy eventually slows.