Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 May 2026
145. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if section 16 naturalisation via Irish associations is a route intended for people who have no other pathway to citizenship and cannot pursue the section 15 route, such as due to residency requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40367/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually based on the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
Section 15 of the Act sets out the statutory conditions that must be fulfilled for a certificate of naturalisation to be granted. Section 16 of the Act gives discretion to waive the statutory conditions (including the 5 year residency requirement) in certain circumstances. This includes where the applicant is a direct descendant of someone who is or was an Irish citizen (for example, a grandparent), has a family connection to an Irish citizen (including by blood, adoption, or civil partnership), or is related by affinity, meaning a close relationship through a spouse’s family.
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/.
[]Additionally, any person born outside of Ireland who has an Irish national grandparent born in Ireland may obtain Irish citizenship through registration in the Foreign Births Register which is maintained by Department of Foreign Affairs, for more information please see: www.dfa.ie/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/.
