Dáil Éireann - Volume 492 - 16 June, 1998

Written Answers. - Citizenship Provisions.

Dr. Upton Dr. Upton

295. Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly in the granting of Irish citizenship whereby children born outside the State are refused citizenship if their parents, although full Irish citizens, were also born outside the State; the steps, if any, he will take to remedy this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14222/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue) John O'Donoghue

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue): I understand the Deputy's question relates to foreign births registration and I have, therefore, set out below the procedures governing this particular avenue to Irish citizenship.

A person whose mother or father was born in Ireland is automatically an Irish citizen. A person whose grandfather or grandmother, but not his or her parents, was born in Ireland may become an Irish citizen by registering in the Foreign Births Register, FBR, at an Irish Embassy or Consular Office or at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

968

[968] There are also certain instances whereby a person can obtain Irish citizenship through his or her great-grandfather or great-grandmother. The following table sets out the position.

The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1986, introduced a provision whereby registration in the FBR would henceforth grant citizenship from the date of registration only. Hence, the situation whereby the great-grandchild of an Irish-born person (“D”) can only register as an Irish citizen if his-her parent (“C”) had registered him-herself prior to the child's birth. There are no plans at present to amend this provison in the 1986 Act.

Dáil Éireann 492 Written Answers. Citizenship Provisions.

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