The High Court yesterday granted leave to a naturalised Irish citizen (the “Applicant”) to challenge the requirement to register children born abroad to naturalised Irish parents on a ‘Foreign Birth Register’ before they are eligible to receive an Irish certificate of nationality or an Irish Passport.
The Applicant who is taking the case is a naturalised Irish citizen and their child was born outside of Ireland. The Applicant applied for an Irish certificate of nationality and an Irish passport on behalf of their child and was informed that the child’s birth would need to be entered on the Foreign Birth Register first in order to acquire Irish citizenship. This Foreign Birth Registration requirement does not apply to the children of Irish citizens who are Irish citizens by birth, adoption or descent.
The Applicant argues that the requirement to register the birth of their child on a Foreign Birth Register in order to have the child’s citizenship recognised by the State is discriminatory.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (the “Commission”)provided legal assistance to the Applicant in making the ex parte application to the High Court today to bring judicial proceedings for the purpose of challenging the Foreign Birth Registration requirement.
IHREC director, Deirdre Malone said:
“Naturalised Irish citizens are entitled to all the rights, entitlements and supports on an equal basis with other Irish people. We are pleased to provide legal assistance in this important case. The basis of our democracy is that all Irish citizens are treated equally.”ENDS/ For further information, please contact: Carol Hunt Tel: 01 859 2656. Carol.Hunt@ihrec.ie Follow us on twitter @_IHREC