Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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215. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of Irish citizens that have sought permission from the Government to accept titles of honour or nobility in the past five years, pursuant to article 40.2.2 of the Constitution, and whether that permission was granted. [14993/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution states that “No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government.” The reference to "title of nobility or of honour" has been interpreted, in accordance with advice from the Attorney General, as referring to honours conferred by or on behalf of a sovereign authority, the recipients of which become entitled, by the law or custom of the foreign State in question, to use prefixes to their names such as “Sir”, “Dame”, “Lord” or "Marquis”.

If a foreign Government wishes to make any such award to an Irish citizen, the accredited foreign diplomatic mission notifies my Department of the proposed conferral of the award. It is noted that rights, privileges or dignities deriving from the award of a title of nobility or honour subsist solely within the jurisdiction conferring it and any other jurisdiction that may recognise those rights, privileges or dignities. Under Irish law, such a title confers no rights, entitlements or dignities. Moreover, awards that provide for the use of letters or marks of distinction after one's name or involve the presentation of medals, ribbons or academic honours are not regarded as conferring a title of nobility or of honour in this jurisdiction.

Based on a review of records held by my Department, I can confirm that the Government has considered nine awards conferring a “title of nobility or of honour” in the period between March 2020 and March 2025.

The Government approved one of these awards in advance. In relation to the remaining eight awards, the honours in question were extended to the Irish citizens concerned before the conferral was brought to the attention of the Government. No facility exists for retrospective approval by the Government.

My Department regularly reminds the relevant authorities that the prior approval of the Government should be sought where awards of the nature outlined in Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution are to be conferred on an Irish citizen.