Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2019
105. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the options available to a person (details supplied) to avail of an Irish passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2822/19]
View answerAll passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act, 2008 as amended (“the Act”). The Act provides that a person must, among other things, be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him or her. The Passport Service is obliged to seek evidence of citizenship before a passport application may be processed.
Citizenship is in turn determined by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 (as amended), which sets out the different means through which a person may be or may become an Irish citizen.
Until November 2005, non-Irish spouses of Irish citizens had the option of signing a post-nuptial declaration in order to be recognised as Irish citizens themselves. This option was repealed with effect from 30 November 2005 and cannot be claimed retrospectively.
A person may claim citizenship by descent if:
1. One of their grandparents was born in Ireland, or;
2. One of their parents was an Irish citizen at the time of their birth, even though they were not born in Ireland.
In these cases, a person can become an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration. Once a person is entered onto the Foreign Births Register they are an Irish citizen and entitled to apply for an Irish passport.
If the individual in this case is not eligible to apply for citizenship via descent, it would appear that naturalisation is the only available means through which to establish Irish citizenship. This comes under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality and further information is available from www.inis.gov.ie.
