Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2023
146. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if it is possible to determine the number of Irish citizens that are resident in England, Scotland and Wales; and if so, if the number of those citizens that hold Irish passports can also be determined. [24118/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile we encourage Irish citizens to register with our embassies in their country of residence, there is no obligation on them to do so, and nor does the Passport Service track the country of residence of Irish passport holders.
The most reliable gauge of the numbers of Irish citizens or passport holders residing in a particular country will likely be that country's own records.
According to the March 2021 Census done across England and Wales, 523,014 Irish-born people are currently living in England and Wales (including the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) which is approximately 1% of the population.
The same census indicated that there are 364,725 Irish passport holders living in England and Wales.
The data doesn’t yet include Scotland, where a separate census was undertaken in March 2022, the results of which aren’t available yet.
Further detail and analysis is available from Irish in Britain (the national membership body for Irish community organisations in Britain), whose first summary report on the Census was released in April 2023: Census 2021: analysis - Irish in Britain www.irishinbritain.org/what-we-do/policy-and-representation/the-census.
The Passport Service continues to see a steady demand for passports from applicants residing in England, Scotland and Wales. Over 130,000 passport applications were received from applicants residing in England, Scotland and Wales in 2022.
