Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this important issue, which is of huge significance to people living in Northern Ireland in particular. The Good Friday Agreement is eloquent on this matter in my view. It states that people in Northern Ireland have a right to be British, Irish or both, and accepted as such. That is the letter and spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. It is my view that the British citizenship laws are out of step with the letter and spirit of that agreement, making a distinction between how people identify as to their citizenship.

Ms DeSouza is an Irish citizen and does have an Irish passport. This is an issue the Tánaiste has raised with the Secretary of State and will do again in the coming days. I raised it in the past with Prime Minister May and will do so again on Thursday or Friday with Prime Minister Johnson.

Last February, when the issue was raised with Prime Minister May, she acknowledged the serious and real concerns in this area and pledged to review the issues around citizenship urgently to deliver a long-term solution consistent with the letter and spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. We continue actively to seek an outcome of that review. As I mentioned, it will be raised by the Tánaiste with the Secretary of State in the next couple of days. I will raise it with the Prime Minister also.

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