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THE NUMBER OF people successfully obtaining citizenship by descent more than doubled in 2017, with over 17,836 people entered on the Foreign Births Register (FBR) to date.
Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) is the process whereby people with an Irish-born grandparent, or a parent who is an Irish citizen through FBR, adoption or naturalisation, can acquire Irish citizenship.
The overall number of applications for citizenship through FBR rose above 22,000 this year, with increases across all regions.
The biggest regional rise was seen in applications from people born in Great Britain, which grew by 95% on 2016.
To date, some 13,004 applications from Great Britain have been received, compared to just 6,639 last year.
There were also significant increases in the numbers of applicants from the United States (up 33%) and South Africa (up 30%).
The number of persons applying for the FBR has more than tripled in four years.
In 2016, just 8,212 new entries were added to the register, while the most the recent figures show that 17,836 people were added in 2017.
Official figures from the Passport Service also show that 20% of Irish passports issued in 2017 were for people in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Some 81,752 applying for an Irish passport were from Northern Ireland, while a total of 81,287 applications were made from Great Britain, an increase of over 28% compared to 2016.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney said the increase in passport applications from Northern Ireland and Great Britain is “undoubtedly partly linked to the ongoing process of the UK’s departure from the European Union, the increase is not solely due to Brexit”.
He said other factors such as increased mobility and population growth are also relevant.
“It is particularly notable that, of the over 80,000 applications from Great Britain this year, almost half were from persons born in Ireland and another approximately 37% were from Irish citizens born abroad to an Irish-born parent,” he said.
In order to deal with the increase workload, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has had to hire 240 temporary clerical officers to assist in the processing of passport applications.
Additional full-time staff have also been assigned both to the Passport Service and to the Foreign Births Registration unit.
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That’s a lot of Paper Paddy’s.
@Con O’Driscoll: lovely name calling for people exercising there constitutional rights
@Con O’Driscoll: oops well spotted old boy. Her majesty would be rightly peeved!!
@Steve Lennon: ___ If it weren’t for the parents or grandparents of “Paper Paddys” sending money back to their families over here, Ireland would have been deeper in the crap than it actually was.
@Ted Murray:
They were not part of the republican elite and it was a case of the mailboat to Hollyhead or starve. Independence came a huge price for the average citizen but not for the “freedom fighters”. Their dynasties are still reaping the rewards of their ill gotten wealth.
No, I’m more inclined to blame a lack of legal contraception last century. I don’t believe that any woman, if she had a choice in the matter, would want to endure fourteen or more childbirths. That would be a poverty trap for anyone, whether the country had gone through a civil war or not.
And some people want citizens abroad to get a vote in our elections and referendums here. Crazy. We hand out so many passports/citizenship that you could actually have a case where people who have never lived in Ireland or never even been to Ireland could be effecting the results of votes. The voting should stay as it is you have a vote if you are an Irish citizen who lives here and have to deal with the consequences of the vote.
@Gaz o’keeffe: yeah, as we all know, the president of Ireland has altered history many times.
Jesus Christ, cop on to yourself, nobody is looking to give Irish citizens abroad a TD to represent them!
Having lived outside of Ireland for many years, I do not believe I have any rights to vote on any issues. I am entitled to my opinions but my free choice to live elsewhere dictates that my opinions are just mine.
We should be connecting with our diaspora but surely people with Irish grandparents would have to live here for a set amount of time to qualify.
@Shaner Mac: 75 years¿
@Shaner Mac:
And how would the Irish soccer team manage without the “Paper Paddies” although we normally refer to them as plastics?
@Fran Lonergan: yes pig ignorant people do use that phrase
@bmul:
Right, must tell my son, who is a ‘Plastic’, I’m pig ignorant. It is often used in an endearing fashion.
@Fran Lonergan: it’s used as an insult by many many people
@bmul:
I’ve rarely heard it used as an insult, at least in England.
@Fran Lonergan: you refer to your own child as a plastic ! Says a lot about you
@bmul:
I think you might find that many Irish in the UK sometimes refer to the second generation as plastics. And not as an insult. Often as banter.
@Fran Lonergan: as an insult
@bmul: a little over sensitive perhaps? I use the term plastic paddy regularly at work as a term of endearment. Even the non PP English lads pitch in with it.
@bmul:
I think you are just trying to score points so I won’t engage that matter any further with you, so back to the question, how would the Irish soccer team manage without second and third generation offspring?
@Fran Lonergan: If you are Irish and living in the UK for a generation then you are every bit as “plastic” as the children.
@Steve Lennon:
You may be right but I don’t mind.
I’ve spoken to many Irish people who have come across that attitude when they visit Ireland. Good of you to confirm that is not just paranoia or imagined.
@Fran Lonergan: ah but sure in your own words it’s just banter.
@Fran Lonergan: so its banter when you use it but an attitude when used against you
@Steve Lennon:
Absolutely Steve, when it is used in that context. Your comment did seem to have an edge though. I’ll take it in good heart and leave others to judge.
@Thomas Blackcat Nah, I was thinking maybe a year or two
Great headline guys, truly masters of your craft.
Wait for our new wave of immigrant to sprout sprogs, millions of applications from Africa
@Misanthrope: eh, how exactly? They have to have an Irish parent or grandparent. In the examples you’re referring to they’d have been born here anyway and there would be no application coming from Africa
@Dave O Keeffe: their siblings kids in Africa could apply. We should bin that rule
@Misanthrope: Fear of a Black Planet? Must be awful being you. So afraid of everything all the time. Boo Hoo.
@DaisyChainsaw: your not one to read too much into things are u lol. I bet you find you are wrong alot of the time and regularly have to wipe egg off your face.
@Misanthrope: How much did Paddy Power sting you out of for another bad bet. Silly Missy.
Good idea to have more than one passport – if you’re so entitled. Who knows what will happen next!?
@Con O’Driscoll: Yes, a grandmother of mine was English – so I also have a UK passport which I often use in foreign parts. Simply because the UK has much better consular and embassy representation abroad – particularly in smaller countries where Ireland is often unheard of.
@Thomas Blackcat: the British look after that where we have no embassy
@Misanthrope: They do their best, yes. But not at the expense of their own citizens!
@Con O’Driscoll: Passports provide no indication of the holder’s political views – or any others. UK passport are simply a better travel option, from a practical standpoint.
@Thomas Blackcat: __ They won’t be very practical for travelling around the EU after Brexit, which is why I’ll be getting an Irish one when the time comes.
@Ted Murray: Scroll back – and you’ll see I have both passports. UK for the world at large – and Irish for the EU, in the future. Just common sense.
@Thomas Blackcat: __ I know you have.
Might be worth pointing out that if your parent was born in Ireland you are an Irish citizen regardless of your country of birth.
@Declan Tallis: stunned how many people don’t no this
@Declan Tallis: @Declan Tallis: both my parents are Irish I was born in London but raised here. Spent most of my life trying to explain to people that I’m Irish and not english. If a cat is born in a stable it doesn’t grow up a horse.
@Maggie O’Connor: Maybe this will help you out http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/irish_citizenship/irish_citizenship_through_birth_or_descent.html. Many Irish people are ignorant of citizenship laws. Consider yourself a horse born in a different stable.
And I wonder how many of them voted for Brexit?
@Laura Walsh: Why?
@Laura Walsh: I’d say not many. That was the whole point wasn’t it?
@Dave O Keeffe: I read a post recently on Twitter about a guy whose mother voted Brexit and then got herself an Irish passport due to an Irish Gran. Her son has no entitlement though. Seems like some people want to have their exclusionist cake and eat it.
If you have an Irish parent you do not have to obtain citizenship you are an Irish citizen at birth.
Would imagine most people with an Irish passport have an Irish parent or two
My friend is an Eskimo and lives in an igloo in Iceland.His great great grandpaw came from ballymun.Can he get one?
@gerry fallon: Yes – but hope you can’t….
@Thomas Blackcat: but I have one already ye dope.
@gerry fallon: they’re called Inuit and live in Greenland..educate yourself.
Jack Charlton’s granny rule is really catching on.
It’s only a passport it’s not like these people want to come and live here . How Irish emigrated and applied for citizenship in other countries .
@Tommy Whelan: Plenty of people would like to have just one if they were entitled to one. TBH, I would say that some people only want two passports so that they don’t need to panic if one is stolen abroad. I just hope that they report any stolen passport as soon as possible, regardless of the inconvenience to them.
My Grandparents were all British citizen at birth due to being born before the Republic was founded. Maybe I’ll apply for a Blue passport for shizzles and giggles!
@DaisyChainsaw:
Did the British Nationality Act 1948 not change that?
@Fran Lonergan: Harrumph! Spoil my fun!!
@Fran Lonergan: Did it?
@Declan McArdle:
It’s a bit complicated.
“The inhabitants belonging to the territory of independent Ireland possessed the nationality of Ireland under its municipal law. UK law provided for those Irish British subjects born prior to 1949 to retain the nationality of the state to which they had hitherto (in UK eyes) belonged. Provision was made for those Irish citizens who had a connection with the UK by virtue of (UK) Crown service, holding a British passport, or other association (residence, descent or otherwise) to retain British subject status by notifying their desire to do so. It was a straightforward way to retain British nationality.”
I think there is no automatic entitlement to descendants of pre-1949 born parents who have not notified their intention to retain British citizenship.
Irish parents yes grandparents no
God bless Ireland it would not happen anywhere else.
Your headline is grammatically incorrect it should read grandparent or parent are Irish.
Hi, I was wondering if anyone could confirm if I can apply for Irish citizenship? My Papa was born in Ireland & raised by his Irish Grandpa, who later immigrated to Scotland where my Mum was born. My Mum later immigrated to Canada where i was born & live. Mum recently passed away, but I recall her having to give up her Scottish Passport back in the mid 70”s or so. Would I, a Granddaughter of an Irish born Papa, be able to apply for Irish Citizenship? Thanks for any replies, Cheers!
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