Vol. 555 No. 2
372 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications for Irish citizenship which have been received from Argentinian nationals who are great-grandchildren of Irish emigrants; if the Government has formulated a policy position in relation to these applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18154/02]
The following table sets out details of the numbers of applications for naturalisation and declarations of post-nuptial citizenship by Argentinian nationals in the last four years:
|
Naturalisation applications received |
Naturalisation certificates granted |
Post-nuptial declarations lodged |
|
|
1999 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
2000 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
2001 |
0 |
2* |
5 |
|
2002 (to date) |
3 |
0 |
4 |
*Certificates granted in a particular year do not necessarily refer to applications received in the same year.
In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs, which administers the foreign births registration process, has confirmed that 786 persons have registered with the foreign births register at the Irish Embassy in Buenos Aires since 1986. That Department has also confirmed that records are not kept in a way that would indicate how many of those persons were the great-grandchildren of Irish nationals. The provisions governing the foreign births registration process, as well as the other methods for acquiring Irish citizenship, are set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts, 1956-2001. In my response to Question No. 1352 of 9 October 2002, I informed the Deputy how these provisions apply to the great-grandchildren of Irish nationals. I also informed the Deputy that the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 2001, which was enacted on 6 June 2001, made extensive changes to Irish citizenship law as enunciated in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts, 1956-1994, and that it was not intended to revisit the issue of foreign births registration in the foreseeable future.
