Update On Applications For Irish Citizenship Based On Irish Descent Or Association

Section 16 (1) of the Irish Nationality & Citizenship Act, 1956 (as amended) provides that the Minister for Justice & Equality (the "Minister") can, in their absolute discretion, grant an application for citizenship in certain cases, although the usual conditions for naturalization (or any of them) are not complied with.

These discretionary cases include where "...the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish associations..", where "Irish associations" is defined as "...he or she is related by blood, affinity, or adoption to...a person who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen, or...he or she is related by blood, affinity or adoption to...a person who is deceased and who, at the time of his or her death, was an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen".