Law scraps right of non-nationals' children to automatic citizenship

THE children of non-nationals will no longer be entitled to automatic Irish citizenship under legislation published yesterday.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said the change had been approved by 80% of the people in the citizenship referendum in June.

"We are proposing a fair and equitable set of arrangements for entitlement to Irish citizenship - arrangements that have the support of Irish society and enable us to acknowledge properly the contribution and commitment to Irish society that longer-term migrants make," he said.