asked the Minister for Justice whether he will state (a) the number of former aliens now resident in the Republic of Ireland who received nationalisation papers since 1935; (b) the percentage of them who renounced their allegiance to the country of their birth; (c) whether any of them have been charged and convicted of indictable crimes, and (d) whether persons permanently resident in the Republic of Ireland and enjoying full privileges of citizenship are permitted to declare or render allegiance to an outside power.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Aliens in Republic of Ireland.
(a) Certificates of naturalisation have been issued to 817 persons since the passing of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1935. I am not in a position to say how many naturalised persons are resident here at present because such persons have all the rights of citizenship and are not subject to registration. Of the 817 persons to whom certificates of naturalisation were issued 426 were males over 21, 294 females over 21, and 97 minors. One hundred and thirty-six of the women were wives of ordinary Irish citizens and 92 were wives of naturalised citizens.
(b) The law relating to naturalisation does not require persons on being naturalised to renounce allegiance to the countries of their birth, and I am not in a position to say how many naturalised persons, if any, did so.
(c) Three naturalised citizens have been charged with indictable offences; one was convicted and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment which was reduced on appeal to a fine, a second was given the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act, and the third was found not guilty.
(d) It is not clear to me exactly what the Deputy means by declaring or rendering allegiance to an outside power, but I wish to point out that the law of this country, in common with that of many other countries, recognises that a person may be a citizen of more than one country.