Order restores power to revoke citizenship
The Minister for Justice has signed an order that restores the power to revoke naturalised Irish citizenship in serious cases.
Section 19 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 (as amended) gave the minister the power to revoke citizenship, but a Supreme Court judgment in 2021 found that the process lacked some necessary safeguards.
The Department of Justice says that changes made by the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 addressed the issues raised in the Supreme Court judgement.
‘Serious risk or threat’
Minister Jim O’Callaghan this week signed the commencement order to re-establish the revocation process, effective from 7 April this year.
“Where citizenship has been obtained fraudulently or when an individual poses a serious risk or threat to the State, it is essential that the power to remove the citizenship that has been granted to them is there,” the minister stated.
“The order is not designed to disadvantage or be punitive against naturalised Irish citizens,” he stated, adding that revocation happened only in “the most serious circumstances”.