Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 1114: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of citizenships that have been granted to non-nationals married to Irish citizens in 2005. [1172/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides for two methods by which non-nationals who are married to Irish citizens can obtain Irish citizenship. Non-nationals who are married to Irish citizens, who are Irish other than by marriage, naturalisation or honorary citizenship, can make a declaration of Irish citizenship as post-nuptial citizenship following three years of marriage. This process was repealed in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2001, which came into effect on 30 November 2002. A transition provision in that Act, which allowed persons who married prior to that date to make a declaration, ended on 29 November 2005. A total of 2,622 persons who had lodged such declarations received certificates during 2005 confirming their Irish citizenship.

Non-nationals who are married to persons who obtained Irish citizenship through the process of naturalisation can make an application for naturalisation following three years marriage and three years residence in Ireland. While records are not maintained in such a way which would identify the spouses of naturalised Irish citizens from other applicants, it is estimated that approximately 80 such persons received certificates of naturalisation in 2005.