Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 June 2024
211. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if a couple (details supplied) can apply for citizenship while on temporary permission given their circumstances; if an exception can be made to accommodate him, given that he suffers from MS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27793/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that EU Council Implementing Decision 2022/382 applied the provisions of the Temporary Protection Directive to persons displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including persons recognised as refugees in Ukraine. At a meeting of EU Home Affairs Ministers on 13 June 2024, political agreement was reached to extend the Temporary Protection Directive until March 2026.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Section 15 of the Act sets out the statutory conditions that must be fulfilled for a certificate of naturalisation to be granted. The conditions include that applicants must have 5 years reckonable residence in the State prior to making an application. There is no exemption from these requirements for beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in Ireland.
Detailed information on Irish citizenship and the naturalisation process, along with the relevant application forms and guidance notes, is available on my Department's Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/.
