Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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282. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria that a person who arrived in Ireland as a child under beneficiaries of temporary protection must meet for naturalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6823/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Temporary Protection Directive has been extended until March 2026 at a meeting of the European Council in June 2024, thereby providing certainty for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who can continue to avail of the protections that the Directive provides during this time. Consideration as to the arrangements to be put in place following the expiry of the Directive are ongoing, both within the Government and at an EU level.Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection hold temporary permission to remain in Ireland, this permission is renewable on an annual basis, as long as the Directive remains in force.

The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot pre-empt the outcome of future discussions and decisions of either the EU or the Government in this regard, however, Ireland supports the strong call from EU Member States for a harmonised approach.

All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.

A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria for naturalisation can only be made after an application is received.

Section 15 of the Act sets out the statutory conditions that must be fulfilled for a certificate of naturalisation to be granted. The conditions include that applicants must have 5 years reckonable residence in the State prior to making an application. There is no exemption from these requirements for beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in Ireland.

As minors cannot apply for naturalisation directly, an application must be made by their parent, legal guardian or person acting on the child's behalf "in loco parentis".

Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation and other resources is available on my Department’s Immigration website here: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/.