Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 289: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the spouse and children all born and living in Great Britain of a person who is an Irish citizen will be considered for Irish citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35837/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts, 1956 to 2004, the basic requirement for Irish citizenship by descent is that an applicant's parent was an Irish citizen at the time of the applicant's birth. A person who was born outside Ireland with parents who were also born outside Ireland but with a grandparent who was born in Ireland may become an Irish citizen by Foreign Births Registration. All applications for Foreign Birth Registration are dealt with directly by the Consular Section of my Department or the nearest Irish Diplomatic Mission to where the applicant normally resides. Application forms are available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website at www.dfa.ie

Provisions in relation to the acquisition of Irish Citizenship by Post Nuptial Citizenship ceased on 29 November 2005. Naturalisation is now the only means whereby a non-national spouse of an Irish citizen can apply to become an Irish citizen. Eligibility is, however, determined by a period of continued residency on the island of Ireland following the marriage. Applications are decided by my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Further information regarding the Naturalisation process is available on the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform website at www.justice.ie or at www.inis.gov.ie .