This is a Seanad Bill which has been amended by the Dáil. In accordance with Standing Order 103, it is deemed to have passed its First, Second and Third stages in the Seanad and is placed on the Order Paper for Report Stage. On the question "That the Bill be received for final consideration", the Minister may explain the purpose of the amendments made by the Dáil. This is looked upon as the report of the Dáil amendments to the Seanad. The only matters, therefore, that may be discussed are the amendments made by the Dáil. For the convenience of Senators, I have arranged to have copies of the amendments made available this morning.
Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill, 1999 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages.
Question proposed: "That the Bill be received for final consideration."
As Members are aware, they may speak only once on this question. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin, to the House.
Tugadh an Bille seo isteach sa tSeanad i Mí na Nollag 1999. Ar an lá céanna shínigh an Taoiseach dearbhú Chonradh Aoine an Chéasta, dearbhú a chuir nua-Altanna 2 agus 3 i bhfeidhm sa Bhunreacht. As you outlined, a Chathaoirligh, the Bill was introduced in the Seanad on the same day that the Taoiseach signed the order for the Good Friday Agreement which put Articles 2 and 3 in force into the Constitution. De bharr na nua-Altanna sin níor mhiste leasaithe a dhéanamh ar Achtanna náisiúntachta agus saoránachta na hÉireann. Sin atá mar phríomh aidhm ar an mBille seo. Chomh maith leis sin, déanann an Bille ath-chóirithe tábhachtacha eile ar na hAchtanna sin. There was a very extensive debate in the House on the Bill agus ritheadh é i Mí Feabhra 2000.
Is é atá i gceist inniu, cúpla leasú teicniúil, ó thaobh dréachtóireachta a phlé, leasaithe a rinneadh sa Dáil. I have to put before the House a couple of technical amendments made in the Dáil. Senators will recall that it was passed on 9 February and these amendments are of a drafting and technical nature.
Amendment No. 1 to section 2 corrects a drafting oversight and ensures the reference at section 2(c) to the definition of “naturalised Irish citizen” in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, is correctly cited.
Amendment No. 2, which is technical in nature, is for the purpose of ensuring consistency of language in expressing the periods of residence required for naturalisation as between the new naturalisation scheme for spouses of Irish citizens and its parallel in the existing section 15 of the 1956 Act. The language of the new section 15A(1)(f), as it originally appeared in the Bill, did not mirror precisely the language of section 15(1)(c) of the existing Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, to the extent that they both deal with the period of one year's residence immediately before an application for naturalisation is made. The amendment aligns the language of the two provisions. Molaim an dá athrú sin don Teach.
We have no difficulty with these two amendments which, as the Minister of State said, are technical in nature. They improve the Bill in terms of absolute definition. There was a lengthy debate on the legislation in the House at a time when I was my party's spokesperson on justice and equality matters. One can take some satisfaction from the fact that when the Bill went to the Dáil it was returned to us, after a very comprehensive debate in the Lower House, in the same form, barring these two minor technical amendments.
Our dissatisfaction was that the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill did not go quite as far as we would have liked. We felt it should have addressed issues such as asylum and immigration. However the legislation was introduced because of that part of the Good Friday Agreement which guarantees Irish citizenship to people on this island in that they can opt to be Irish or British citizens as they so wish.
We were delighted that the legislation removed the term "alien" from Irish citizenship law. It was an offensive term and was rightly removed from the Bill. We welcome the legislation which has been a long time coming. If I remember correctly, the Bill was passed by the House as long ago as February 2000. The legislation was a long time in the Lower House and we had hoped it would have found its way onto the Statute Book a good deal sooner but better late than never.
I welcome the amendments before the House which, as Senator Connor stated, are technical in nature. It is satisfying that the Bill is returning to us in the same form it left the House, with the exception of these technical but necessary amendments.
I welcome the Minister of State and I am glad the Bill is about to be passed. I am pleased a pregnant woman has never been more valuable in Ireland because we have the citizenship of many people nowadays because of their birth in the State. Of the babies who were born in the Dublin maternity hospital, approximately 20% have non-national mothers. It is nice that pregnant women are coming into their own and are considered so valuable.
I thank the Senators for their foresight in bringing forward amendments when the Bill was in the House, which the Dáil then accepted. It is nice to bring the passage of the legislation to a conclusion after being in both Houses for such a length of time.
Question put and agreed to.
Question, "That the Bill do now pass", put and agreed to.