Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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276. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons granted citizenship in each year of the past five years at the absolute discretion of the Minister based on their ancestors having strong ties to Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12707/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

Statistics are not compiled in such a manner as to identify those applications where a certificate of naturalisation for citizenship has been granted on the basis of Irish association. The retrieval of this data would require a case by case examination of applications received during the timeframe specified and would represent a significant diversion of resources from day to day processing. However, I can say that there are currently 267 Irish association cases under active consideration by my Department.

It is open to an applicant to apply under Section 16(a) of the 1956 Act where the applicant is of Irish descent or has Irish association. Under the legislation a person is of Irish association if they are related by blood, affinity or adoption to a person (living or deceased) who is or was an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen. A civil partner of such a person may also qualify.

In such cases, the conditions for naturalisation set out under Section 15 of the Act, including residency requirements, may be waived on a discretionary basis. The onus is on the applicant to provide sufficient evidence of Irish descent or Irish association.