Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008. The Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him/her. Entitlement to Irish citizenship is in turn determined by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, under which and in general, Irish citizenship may be obtained by birth in certain circumstances, by descent, or by naturalisation.

As no details have been supplied about the UK citizen in question, it is not possible to provide specific guidance on their case. Nonetheless, we can advise on the general rules and procedures that apply to cases such as these.

A person born on the island of Ireland before 1 January 2005 is an Irish citizen. Citizenship for persons born on the island of Ireland after that date is subject to certain conditions. A person born abroad is automatically an Irish citizen if one of their parents was an Irish citizen born in Ireland. There is an additional requirement of registration in the Foreign Births Register (FBR) for a person born outside Ireland where his/her Irish citizen parent had also been born outside the island of Ireland. In such cases, Irish citizenship commences after inclusion on the FBR.

Individuals who are unable to establish an entitlement to citizenship by descent may still be able to apply for citizenship through naturalisation. Naturalisation comes under the auspices of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service within the Department of Justice and Equality. Details of how to apply for citizenship through naturalisation can be found at: www.inis.gov.ie

Each person must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship by providing acceptable documentary evidence of this entitlement with their passport application. Further information on passport applications, including helpful guidelines for document requirements, can be found on the Passport Service's website DFA.ie/passport