Billy Lawless (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the migrant groups and thank them for all they do for immigrants in this country. As an Irish citizen and American citizen, I am very proud that this is one of the few countries in Europe that does not have an anti-immigrant party. Long may that last.

On 11 June 2004 the Irish people voted in favour of an amendment to our Constitution that in my view, both then and now, was a very unnecessary change. I greatly welcome Senator Bacik's Bill which does not seek to overturn the will of the Irish people but instead reflects a less onerous regime for those categories of minors born on the island of Ireland who no longer have an automatic entitlement to citizenship because of the legislation which followed the 2004 referendum. Section 15(c) of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, which was amended in 1986, long before the citizenship referendum, includes a criterion that must be met before the Minister can in his or her "absolute discretion" grant an application for citizenship, that a person applying for citizenship must be resident in Ireland for one year immediately before the date of the application. During the eight years "immediately preceding that period" the applicant must have accumulated a total residence period "amounting to four years". When combined with the requirement of residency one year before the application, that amounts to a five year residency requirement. If I understand Senator Bacik's Bill correctly her proposal is that the combined residency requirement be changed to three years-----