Migration and Citizenship: Statements
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-30
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Paula Butterly (FG), Louth

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this topic. Listening to some of the debate, there seems to be a muddying of the waters as to what we are proposing in relation to citizenship and then the discussion in regards to migration. Ireland has always been a welcoming nation. However, over the last couple of years, we have realised that we need to have a firm and fair system to deal with the challenges coming down the line. Through the work of the Government and its Ministers, reforms have been implemented and we are now seeing the benefits. We have always recognised that those who have come to Ireland and joined our communities and workforce have been welcomed and they are necessary. Never more than now, with an ageing population, we need more people like that coming into our country, being part of our community and participating in our political parties. Fine Gael also has a very large representation of diversity within the party, and we are very proud of that. We would welcome more people to join the party. That is the political broadcast finished for now.
At the same time, it has to be recognised that citizenship is not a right, but a privilege. People need to strive for it and work at it and ultimately be proud of it. It should never be taken for granted. This is what is being proposed in the Bill. We are acknowledging that people are working here and would like to establish a life here. Like their children, they would like to be citizens. There is no problem in my mind with extending the timeframe. What is the issue, whether it is five years or eight years, when the goal we are talking about is a lifetime?
Like Deputy Byrne Malcolm Byrne, I too had summer jobs. Unfortunately, I was not from Wexford. I am from County Louth, so my summers were spent picking wild oats and potatoes. Nowadays we do not have in the countryside people coming in looking for summer jobs. We do not have the migrants and local young people are not coming to do this.
Deputy Eoghan Kenny made a valid point, though I perhaps would not have used the same terminology. We have graduates coming in now, and while I would not extend it to all undergraduates, I think there is a valid argument to be made - and I hope it would be considered - that if postgraduates are here doing research in any subject through an approved institution, after that, if it is three, four or five years, those two years or three years of study be taken into consideration and be part of the residency rule. It seems a little unfair, if they have chosen to stay here to study and then contribute to society, that we would not recognise those years.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-30/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-30