Immigrant citizenship is new national question

NOT for the first time, Declan Keane, master of Holles Street maternity hospital in Dublin, has highlighted the amazing statistic (RTÉ radio, September 2) that 20% of current births in Dublin are to non-national mothers.

Apart from the unnecessary strain in terms of congestion and cost that this places on the system, it is high time that our legislators addressed the phenomenon caused by their lame wording on citizenship incorporated in the Good Friday agreement.

Irish citizenship is not so trite a gift as to be available to anyone who can transport themselves (quite easily, it seems) into this state where they can have instant Irish (and European) citizenship conferred on their offspring.