Written answers

Monday, 9 September 2024

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Passport Services

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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64.To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason a passport application (details supplied) is still outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35554/24]

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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65.To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason a passport application (details supplied) is still outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35557/24]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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66.To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a person (details supplied) qualifies for an Irish passport; if not, if her only option qualifying her for an Irish passport is to become a naturalised Irish citizen; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35595/24]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008, as amended. The 2008 Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to that person. Entitlement to Irish citizenship is determined by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, under which Irish citizenship may be obtained by birth, by descent, or by naturalisation.

For individuals born outside of Ireland, they may claim citizenship if they had at least one parent who was born in the island of Ireland and where that parent is an Irish citizen. An individual born on the island of Ireland before 1 January 2005 is automatically an Irish citizen.

Individuals who were not born in Ireland and whose Irish citizen parent was not born in Ireland can apply to become Irish citizens through their Irish-born grandparents through Foreign Birth Registration.

For individuals whose great-grandparent was born in Ireland, they may be entitled to apply for entry on the Foreign Birth Register (FBR) if their parent was an Irish citizen at the time of the applicant's birth. This means that their parent must have been entered on the Foreign Birth Register and been an Irish citizen before the applicant was born.

Further information on Foreign Birth Registration is available on my Department's website, www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/.

There are no provisions for the spouse or partner of an Irish citizen to acquire an Irish passport solely by virtue of a marriage or civil partnership with an Irish citizen. The legal provision that provided for post-nuptial citizenship was repealed with effect from 30 November 2005 and therefore it is not possible to apply retrospectively. Citizens can apply for an Irish passport if they acquired Irish citizenship by making a declaration of post-nuptial citizenship, as prescribed by the Department of Justice and Equality prior to this date.

Information on Irish citizenship through naturalisation is available from the Department of Justice which has responsibility for that process.

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