Rights group calls for citizenship debate

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has called on TDs and senators to conduct a proper debate about the ramifications of proposed restrictions on the right to Irish citizenship.

The restrictions are contained in the Nationality and Citizenship Bill, which was published by the Government today.

Under the legislation, children born in Ireland will only be entitled to citizenship if one of their parents is already an Irish citizen or has been resident on the island for three of the previous four years.

ICCL director Aisling Reidy said today that the bill was seriously flawed on the issue of childrens’ and refugees' rights and failed to reflect concerns communicated to the Government by various organisations.