Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2024
514. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if her Department’s citizenship unit contacts authoritarian regimes in countries such as Iran, Russia, and Afghanistan for background check-purposes as part of establishing good character in the citizenship process. [36422/24]
View answerThe granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
All applicants are required to satisfy the good character criterion under Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended.
As part of this assessment, An Garda Síochána is requested to make enquiries into the applicant’s background; the detail and extent of which is a matter for An Garda Síochána. For sound security and operational reasons, it is not the practice to comment on the enquiries that may be conducted.
