New Citizenship Rules

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New Citizenship Rules

December 21, 2007

By Paddy Clancy

IMMIGRANTS who want to take out Irish citizenship will no longer qualify just because they have spent five trouble-free years in the country, the main current requirement.

They must also, for the first time under new proposals being drafted by the government, be able to communicate in the English or Irish languages.

Provision for examinations in English or Irish, along the lines of a scheme already in operation in Britain, are to be included in the new Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill which is expected to be published before the end of January.

Applicants for citizenship will be asked to demonstrate that they have a “reasonable competence” for communicating in English or Irish. They will also, as at present, have to be living in Ireland for five years and be of “good character.”

In addition, they must pledge fidelity to the state, also a present condition of acceptance as a citizen.

Justice Minister Brian Lenihan says citizenship should not just be a matter of “clocking up the necessary number of months for residence.” Applicants should also have the ability to communicate with their prospective fellow citizens.

Although provision for tests of an applicant’s competence in English or Irish will be included in the new bill, it is likely to be some time before the examination will actually be introduced.

The minister has said there are significant logistical issues which remain to be addressed, such as how the testing regime will operate.

A report of a government-commissioned study on the capacity of the education system for teaching English to foreign nationals is still in the pipeline.

Lobby groups, including the Immigrant Council of Ireland, have called on the authorities to make sure there is sufficient capacity in the education system for teaching English.

Council chairman John Cunningham told The Irish Times, “If the Government were to make competency in English a requirement for long-term residency or citizenship, it has an obligation to ensure there are enough courses available to allow migrants with limited language skills the opportunity to learn.”

The groups have suggested the government should establish a central agency to tender out a wide range of courses — from those for people with little or no English through to introductory courses for those who would benefit from learning more about Irish society.

Language tests for applicants for citizenship in Britain have been in place for some time. Applicants are obliged to read and write to a certain standard, and also speak and understand English in a variety of formal and informal situations.

There is also a test of applicants’ basic knowledge of national culture.

Those who can afford language lessons are expected to pay for their classes, although a number of free English courses are also available.

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