EU migrant workers coming to Ireland promote diversity and enrich the country’s culture, it was claimed today.

Speaking on Europe Day, Minister of State Noel Treacy said continental European languages can be heard in Irish towns and cities and Polish newspapers can be seen on news stands.

“The richness of Europe’s cultures shows that the EU is so much more than just an economic and political entity,” Mr Treacy told his audience at a ’Europe Entices’ event in Dublin’s Bewley’s Café.

“Europe entices and rewards on many levels. It evokes the richness of all our cultures, our languages, our music, our art, the craic agus ceol in all its European varieties,” he said.

“Today’s Ireland is being exposed to the modern cultures of our newly-acceded EU partners as young Poles, Latvians, Lithuanians and others come here to live and work.

“The presence here of communities from other European countries affords us an opportunity to appreciate the indispensable diversity of European civilisation and to celebrate and nurture those things that unite us.”

Mr Treacy was joined at today’s event by Martin Territt, director of the European Commission’s office in Ireland and Aosdana member Anthony Cronin.

The minister referred to Ireland’s strong cultural links with the rest of Europe, including early Hallstatt influences from Austria alpine village, Salzkammergut.

To mark Europe Day, a special all-day debate on EU issues will be held in the Dáil tomorrow and will be attended by European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mariann Fischer Boel.