Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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833. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding an Irish passport (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41821/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Insufficient information has been provided related to this specific case to enable the question be answered in full. However, in general, a person acquires Irish citizenship through one of the following ways:

- by an entitlement to Irish citizenship for certain persons born in the island of Ireland;

- entitlement by descent if one of his/her parents was an Irish citizen at the time of the person's birth;

- by naturalisation at the absolute discretion of the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Accordingly the following general points can be made:

If the parent was an Irish citizen at the time of the birth of the children, then the children are Irish citizens, irrespective of their place of birth (unless one of the special conditions relating to birth outside Ireland applies; these are described below).

If the children were born outside Ireland to an Irish citizen who was himself or herself born in Ireland, then the children are Irish citizens. If the children were born outside Ireland to an Irish citizen who was himself or herself born outside Ireland, and any of the grandparents were born in Ireland, then the children are entitled to become Irish citizens, and can do so by having their births registered in the Foreign Births Register maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

If neither parent nor grandparents were born in Ireland, the children may be entitled to become an Irish citizen by having their birth registered in the Foreign Births Register; this depends on whether the parent through whom they derive Irish citizenship had himself or herself become an Irish citizen by being registered in the Foreign Births Register before the children were born.

Detailed information in relation to entitlement can be obtained from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, the body responsible for citizenship matters, reporting to the Minister for Justice and Equality.