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Call for citizenship access to be timely, transparent - RTE
Social Affairs & Religion Correspondent
Substantial progress has been made in the last decade in facilitating access to Irish citizenship by naturalisation, however, the European Migration Network (EMN) has warned that people should be able to do so in as timely and transparent a way as possible.
New research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the European Migration Network shows over 145,800 people were granted Irish citizenship through naturalisation between 2006 and 2018.
The study is part of EU-wide research on naturalisation, which is the main way by which migrants may access citizenship and its associated rights.
Out of 24 EU Member States examined in the study, Ireland is among four EU countries that reported the highest naturalisation fees, along with the UK, Austria and the Netherlands.
Applicants pay €175, and a further certification fee of €950 applies for successful adult applicants with €200 for children and certain other cases.
Refugees and stateless persons are exempt from the certification fee.
It notes that delays in processing naturalisation applications have arisen partly due to the outcome of a High Court judgment in 2019 on the definition of "reckonable residence", and Covid-19 related restrictions.
In October 2020, the Department reported that "a straightforward application takes a year to be processed", with more complex applications taking longer.
There are three main "pathways" to Irish citizenship: at birth by descent, by birth on the island of Ireland, and naturalisation.
Applicants for naturalisation must generally have five years' residence in Ireland.
They must be of "good character", intend to reside in Ireland, and make a declaration of loyalty to the State.
Spouses and civil partners of Irish citizens and certain other groups may apply after three years.
The study says the Department of Justice reported that failure to satisfy the "good character" requirement and inability to meet the residence criteria are among the top reasons for refusal.
It says the number of people granted Irish citizenship through naturalisation "increased rapidly" from 2010, peaking in 2012, and has declined steadily since, broadly in line with EU-wide trends.
Just over 8,200 people were granted Irish citizenship through naturalisation in 2018, and almost 5,800 in 2019.
The share of EU nationals among new Irish citizens has increased from 4% in 2011 to 49% in 2018.
Among EU nationals granted Irish citizenship through naturalisation, the top three nationalities since 2005 are Poland, Romania and the UK.
The UK saw a seven-fold increase between 2016, when Brexit was confirmed, and 2018.
The most common nationalities among non-EU nationals acquiring Irish citizenship through naturalisation since 2005 are, Nigeria, India, and the Philippines.