Sinn Féin proposes ‘advantages’ for citizenship applicants who learn Irish

One Sinn Féin proposal to reform the State’s citizenship rules would see “advantages” offered to those who learn Irish, including a potential reduction in their residency requirement periods.

The party set out its proposals to reform the State’s citizenship rules and laws on Wednesday, saying it was likely that fewer naturalisations would occur under its system.

The policy supports recent Government plans to increase the standard residency requirement before a person can seek citizenship from five to eight years, but argues there should be a long-term residence pathway after five years and specific, shorter protected routes.

The Sinn Féin system would include “additional advantages for those applicants who have gained proficiency in the first national language, An Ghaeilge. That may include measures such as reduced certification fees or a reduced residency requirement.”

Speaking at the launch of the policy document in Dublin, Sinn Féin justice spokesman Matt Carthy said the party wanted to see citizenship “reflect somebody’s wish to belong, to be part of the Irish nation” and that it would reward people who have contributed positively to their communities and Irish society.

He said there was no greater sign of somebody wanting to participate in Irish community life than learning the language.

“When you see people who weren’t born in Ireland, and who moved here, and who made the effort to learn a native language, and in some cases, put many of us to shame in terms of their fluency, we think that we should have consideration in terms of how that can be acknowledged in the citizenship process.”

He said the party was not “definitive” on what form this might take.

Asked if there would be fewer citizenship applications granted under the Sinn Féin proposals, he said it was not about “crude numbers”. He said when there were additional criteria introduced, it made sense that fewer people would be able to meet the criteria.

Carthy said he did not envisage a large number of people who would otherwise have become citizens failing to attain the status under the proposed regime.

He accused the Government of rushing its citizenship reforms, calling for a collaborative approach to ensure the system was transparent and valued the notion of Irish citizenship.

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Under the Sinn Féin proposals, those already in the system at the time of the Government’s announcement of reforms would be processed under the old system – including its five-year residency obligation.

He also said there would be a pathway to long-term residency for those who want to stay in the country without becoming citizens.

There would be an obligation on the Government to produce materials and provide courses and training on language proficiency, while criteria relating to the good character of an applicant would be defined.

Carthy said there was “huge discretion” afforded to the Minister in the current system, which sometimes leaves people “bewildered as to whether or not they will or won’t receive Irish citizenship”.