Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

The phrase is not of 2000 vintage, going back to 1946 at the very least. It goes back to the basic point we discussed at the beginning of today's proceedings. One is not automatically an Irish citizen if one is born in Ireland. One is automatically entitled to Irish citizenship if born in the island of Ireland. The child born to a French couple in Ireland this week is not automatically an Irish citizen. If that child does not do something — either have a choice made for it by its parents or makes it itself — consistent with claiming citizenship, he or she will be a French national by descent. Such a child may legitimately be called a non-national born in the island of Ireland. A Unionist in Northern Ireland can be legitimately called a non-national born in the island of Ireland. An Irish citizen who renounces his or her citizenship to become a citizen of a state that does not permit dual citizenship is a non-national born in the island of Ireland. There are many categories to which that phrase may apply and they are of considerable antiquity.

The fact that the Senator may have seen them, first, in an Act of 2000 does not mean the words were not used many times before and had a clear meaning, which is that it is possible to be born in the island of Ireland and to be either a Unionist or somebody who has nationality of some other state by descent; or somebody who was born here and has been an Irish citizen and has repudiated citizenship with a view to becoming a citizen of some other country. All of those people may legitimately be called non-nationals born in the island of Ireland.