Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The timeline for the publication of the review is 2010 and it will be subject to consultation thereafter. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act dates from 1956 but it was amended in 1986, 1994, 2001 and 2004. We are considering the possibility of amending it further based on recent trends. I accept that anyone who wants to become an Irish citizen must have a period of residency. The conditions under the legislation are comprehensive and that is as it should be.

We examined the issue of fees and the equivalent fee for citizenship in the UK is £820 and while there was no fee for long-term residency here in the UK it was approximately £800. I felt that given the significant level of paperwork on behalf of the State for these applications and that a long-term residency application is the final step on the way to becoming an Irish citizen, it was only right and proper that the taxpayer should get some recompense for it and some payment be made.

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