Government's Double Bind: Child Poverty Surges as Tighter Citizenship Rules Signal Shift

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan declared "citizenship is a privilege, not a right" as he prepared to bring forward plans to Cabinet this week for a major overhaul of Ireland's naturalisation system. The proposed rules, announced by Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the Fianna Fáil think-in, include an eight-year residency requirement (up from five), a language test in English or Irish, and proof of economic self-sufficiency.

Off the Record

The timing is no...