Hi dris, yes i'm Irish, and we do have a large immigrant population.
There are 2 types - EU citizens, and others. (Don't want to change the thread, but i need to answer your comments, hope that's ok).
You're talking about economic and social immigrants from outside the EU, and just like the UK we get the faked asylum seekers etc, but they are allowed to claim asylum under UN laws, not just EU ones. I'm sorry to say that a common misconception was that ols story about cars etc being given to them. In fact, an asylum seeker is given housing in a 'full board' facility - they get what they're given for food and that's it. As for cash, they receive exactly �19.10 per week and �9.60 per week for each child. This is to cover clothing, toiletries, and all expenses. Hardly a fortune - that works out as �14.27 a week - would you cross the world to get that...?
http://www.ria.gov.ie/coming_to_ireland_as_an_ asylum_seeker/