Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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374. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Government will consider giving a person (details supplied) honorary Irish citizenship in appreciation for his work on the Irish peace process. [44976/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Constitution does not permit titles of honour or nobility to be conferred on any person by the State.

The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 provides that the President, on the advice of the Government, may grant Irish Citizenship as a token of honour to a person or to the child or grandchild of a person who has done honour or rendered distinguished service to the nation. It has, due to its exceptional nature, been bestowed on a very limited number of people.

A Government decision to advise the President to grant honorary citizenship would require a member of the Government to submit a memorandum setting out a case as to why the exceptional honour should be granted. Because of the exceptional nature of the award, proposals or applications other than on foot of such submissions are not accepted.