Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
683. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the proposed changes to the immigration system will apply retrospectively to people who are already in the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71457/25]
View answer701. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the proposed change to the citizenship residency requirement from three to five years for people with international protection status, will apply to those who have already lived in Ireland for more than five years but have not yet submitted an application for citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71641/25]
View answer702. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the proposed change to the citizenship residency requirement from three to five years for people with international protection status, will apply to applicants who have already submitted their citizenship application and are currently awaiting a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71642/25]
View answer703. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way in which citizenship applications from people with international protection status will be prioritised; whether those who have lived in Ireland longer will be processed first; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71643/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 683, 701, 702 and 703 together.
Last month Minister O'Callaghan and I secured Government approval to introduce new policies and legislative changes to strengthen Ireland’s migration and asylum system to ensure it is rules-based, efficient and more aligned with EU Member States.
As part of this, I intend to make a number of changes to the legislation on the granting of citizenship.
One policy change which I have already made relates to the residency requirements of a person granted international protection to be granted citizenship, came into effect on 8 December 2025.
I want to clarify for the Deputy that International Protection applicants are not eligible to apply for naturalisation. Only individuals who have been granted an International Protection declaration and who have accrued the required period of reckonable residence in the State can be considered for Irish citizenship.
Previously, individuals granted international protection status could apply for citizenship after a time period of three years. Effective from 8 December 2025 persons granted international protection will generally be required to have five years of reckonable residence in the State before they can apply for citizenship.
Applications for citizenship received before 8 December 2025 will continue to be processed under the previous three year rule, while applications submitted on or after that date will be assessed in line with the new five year residency requirement. This change brings citizenship applicants with international protection status in line with most other citizenship applicants.
It is important to note that applications for naturalisation are not prioritised on the basis of an applicant's length of residence in the State. Rather, applications are processed in the order in which they are received, subject to the completion of all necessary checks.
All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually based on the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation and other resources is available on my Department’s Immigration website here: ww.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/ .
