Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 455: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if it is possible to make an application for citizenship via naturalisation on the basis of Irish descent and associations without residency here. [15598/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Any person, who wishes to become an Irish citizen and meets the relevant Statutory conditions as set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, may make an application for naturalisation.

Section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that I may, in my absolute discretion, waive some or all of the statutory conditions, including residency, in certain circumstances including where an applicant is of Irish descent or of Irish associations.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 456: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if a person whose great grandfather was an Irish citizen but whose father was registered as a foreign birth but is now an Irish citizen can qualify for citizenship on the basis of Irish descent and associations. [15599/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The basic requirement for obtaining Irish citizenship by descent, through Foreign Births Registration is that an applicant's parent was an Irish citizen at the time of the applicants birth.

A person born outside of Ireland with a parent who was born in Ireland is automatically an Irish citizen by descent. A person born outside of Ireland with parents who were born outside Ireland and a grandparent who was born in Ireland may become an Irish citizen by Foreign Births Registration.

If a person wishes to apply for Irish citizenship through a great grandparent born in Ireland, the position is more complex. Eligibility depends on one of the applicant parents, i.e. the grandchild of the person born in Ireland, being already entered in the Foreign Births Register, the date of that registration and the applicants date of birth.

Under the 1956 Act, an applicant who was entered in the Foreign Births Register between 17 July 1956 and 30 June 1986 acquired Irish citizenship from the date that the Act came into force (17 July 1956) or the applicants date of birth, whichever was later. Under the 1986 Act, a person is accorded Irish citizenship from the actual date of entry in the Foreign Births Register.