Government Citizenship Proposals 2026

Rolling update in terms of what the Government has proposed regarding changes to citizenship rules. I will publish the link as and when more information becomes available.

To be an Irish citizen is a privilege and as we know an Irish passport is highly regarded worldwide.

I think it is reasonable for anyone applying for Irish citizenship, whether as an individual or a spouse, to be proficient in at least one of our national languages, to be aware of our history and shared cultural values, to respect our laws and have no criminal convictions and, allowing for those shown to have fled from persecution, to be self-sufficient from an income perspective. These are issues I have raised before in terms of calling for a citizen's convention on immigration and asylum policy as well as various Dáil contributions.

However, I also believe that anyone who has made a genuine contribution to our country and who meets these criteria should be afforded a pathway to citizenship. I have read about the Government proposals and will look closely at whatever legislation is proposed. I am not sure if extending the time period before citizenship is granted is the way to go. I would prefer a more stringent process without necessarily extending the timeframe. These are issues I will raise during any debate.

I also think that it is fair comment for people who grew up in an area and cannot get a house to question whether they should be offered some accommodation first, while also acknowledging that the basic problem is one of supply. Separately, we also need a faster, tighter asylum policy, given that that 70% of those who apply for asylum are turned down on appeal, as they have been found to not genuinely be fleeing persecution or war; many are simply economic migrants who did not apply for work through the proper channels. None of these reasons are any excuse for abuse or hatred, however, and I am on the record for standing up against racism and have been criticised by far right groups for doing so.

During my time as an elected representative I have met many people born overseas who have made a tremendous contribution to our country. I have seen the pride and joy of many in becoming Irish citizens. These type of people are welcome. In terms of the jobs we need to fill and the regional policy in terms of where specific industries are located, I do think we need to be more strategic to reduce housing pressure in certain areas, as there is now an overconcentration of IT and pharma companies in the Dublin region and congestion is increasing. It would make more sense for people to travel west for employment in such contexts than east and the triangle between Mullingar, Athlone and Tullamore could be our silicon valley if policy reflected this.

I think there is a balanced approach that can be taken, where those who can and have made a contribution can qualify for Irish citizenship through a fair and robust process, while at the same time acknowledging the genuine constraints in the system. Immigration has long been a net contributor to Ireland economically and most reasonable people acknowledge that, although some will have issues about the pace of immigration in recent years, which is valid and should be discussed in a responsible way.

Whatever legislation is published, I will examine it closely. I don't believe that the goalposts should be moved for those whose applications are already in the system. Any new changes in terms of time should be applied from the enactment date and not retrospectively, although as I said I don’t think five years to eight years is the way to go in terms of tightening the system up.

I think most people want a fair and balanced system that offers a pathway for those that follow the rules and filters out those who are not going to make a contribution.