'Citizen tourist' row hots up over birth figure claims

THE row over 'citizen tourists' arriving into Ireland late in pregnancy erupted into fresh controversy yesterday after figures indicated their number may be lower than previously suggested by Government.

Statistics compiled by two of Dublin's largest maternity hospitals show so-called citizen tourists accounted for only 432 of the more than 3,649 births to non-nationals.

These figures related to non-EU nationals who booked into the hospitals within 10 days of giving birth, or who arrived to the hospital in labour.