Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 March 2026
210. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the supports in place for young people who were born in Ireland, brought up in State care but not considered citizens due to the change in State law in 2005. [17670/26]
View answerAll applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually based on the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
The Act requires applications for naturalisation on behalf of minors to be made by a parent or guardian of the minor.
When a minor is the subject of a care order, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, takes on the role and responsibility of providing for that child but does not become the child's guardian within the meaning of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, as amended. For this reason, applications for naturalisation made by Tusla on behalf of minors do not meet the requirements of the Act.
Once a person reaches 18 years of age, it is open to them to submit an application for naturalisation in their own right.
Further information on the citizenship entitlement of minors, how to apply for naturalisation and other resources are available at the following link: [www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/]
