In the six months to 30 June this year, 39,624 Poles applied for PPS numbers . . . required before they can take up work in Ireland. This represents a drop of almost 5,000 or 10% on the 43,927 who applied in the first six months of 2006.

The number of Lithuanians migrating to Ireland has dropped even more sharply, with 5,699 applying for work numbers in the first half of this year against 8,398 in 2006 . . . a 32% decline.

The number of Latvians coming to work in Ireland has also fallen steeply, from 4,264 in the first six months of 2006 to 2,457 in 2007 . . . a 44% drop.

Excluding Romanians and Bulgarians, who are in the 2007 figures but not those for 2006, the total number applying for PPS numbers from the accession states has dropped from 66,812 in 2006 to 56,922 in 2007 . . . a decline of 15%.

Even the number of Romanians applying for PPS numbers has dropped dramatically in the past few months. Over 3,000 applied in January under the mistaken impression that they could work in Ireland. Since then the number of Romanian applications has steadily declined and last month just 787 applied for a PPS number.

The drop in numbers comes just as the construction industry warns that up to 35,000 workers, or 10% of the workforce, may be sacked after the builders' holidays as the sector faces a slowdown.

"It was anticipated before the accession of the EU10 that numbers travelling to Ireland would peak over the following two to three years, " a spokeswoman for the enterprise minister told the Sunday Tribune last week.

There has also been "a steadying of the jobs market in Ireland, including a shift away from construction towards the service industry", added the spokeswoman.

Another reason for the decline is that the economies of the accession countries are improving. Their governments are encouraging workers to stay at home, she said.