"It was brilliant timing, " says Dorda who, before he came to Ireland, had every intention of remaining with the Polish Solidarnosc trade union, where he was employed as a legal adviser.

Dorda was impressed with Siptu. "In Poland, trade unions are closely tied to political parties. But here they are independent and can really get things done, " he says.

While he admits Polish people can be fairly closed, he thinks language is the biggest barrier to integration. "If you can communicate it's easier to integrate, " says Dorda.

Wearing his union hat, he says it is up to the new minister for integration Conor Lenihan to encourage companies to provide English-language courses to migrant workers.

"Migrant workers are paying millions in tax and PRSI and this makes finance minister Brian Cowen very happy. But isn't it about time he invested some of that money back into the migrant community?

"Polish people see Ireland as a type of new world and over the last few years have opened up Polish saloons, bakeries, food stores, barbers, newspapers and medical centres. We are making a difference."

Two years after his move, Dorda is inundated with complaints from migrant workers about underpayment, particularly in construction. "It is very difficult for Polish workers to complain to the right person when they cannot speak the language. The state needs to be more userfriendly for the migrant and provide labour inspectors who can speak Polish, " he says.

Dorda fears that because migrant workers are cheaper to employ than the Irish, it could be the local workers who will lose the thousands of jobs expected to go in construction over the next few months. "If this happens it could create tension between Polish and Irish workers, " he warns.

On a personal note he says that up until last year he wouldn't have dreamed of returning to Poland.

"I would buy a house here if I could afford it, start a family and settle down here, " he says. But his family is in Poland and he admits he has started to miss his native land.

"I am between two worlds at the moment, " he says as he prepares to head off this weekend to his home town of Tychy near Katowice . . . for a holiday.