I propose to take Questions Nos. 1367 and 1374 together.
All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
Last year my Department published new guidelines for applications on the basis of Irish Associations under Section 16(1)(a) of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956.
They set out the factors that may be considered when deciding whether to waive the statutory conditions in certain circumstances, including where the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish associations. Details of the guidelines are available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-an-irish-citizen-guide/
I can inform the Deputy that it is not possible to provide statistics on the number of applications approved or refused under Section 16 based on residency in the State, or based on any particular criterion or combination of criteria contained in the Irish Association guidelines. This would require the manual examination of hundreds of cases. Such an examination would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources.
I can advise the Deputy that the overall number of decisions issued on the Irish Association applications since the introduction of the Guidelines in April 2025 is 382, of which 243 were refusals.
