Uimhir 23 de 1986

ACHT NÁISIÚNTACHTA AGUS SAORÁNACHTA ÉIREANN, 1986

RIAR NA nALT

Uimhir 23 de 1986

ACHT NÁISIÚNTACHTA AGUS SAORÁNACHTA ÉIREANN, 1986

(An tiontú oifigiúil)

Míniú.

1.—San Acht seo ciallaíonn “Acht 1956” Acht Náisiúntachta agus Saoránachta Éireann, 1956.

Leasú ar alt 7 d'Acht 1956.

2.—Leasaítear leis seo alt 7 d'Acht 1956, a bhaineann le foirmiúlachtaí atá le comhlíonadh i gcásanna áirithe, tríd an gcoinníoll seo a leanas a chur isteach i ndiaidh mhír (b) d'fho-alt (2):

“Ar choinníoll, maidir le saoránacht duine a chláraítear faoi alt 27, tar éis dháta rite Acht Náisiúntachta agus Saoránachta Éireann, 1986, nach mbeidh feidhm lena shaoránacht ach amháin amhail ar agus ó dháta an chláraithe sin.”.

Saoránacht a fháil ar phósadh.

3.—Cuirtear leis seo an t-alt seo a leanas in ionad alt 8 d'Acht 1956:

“8.—(1) Duine atá ina eachtrannach ar dháta pósta an duine sin le duine is saoránach Éireannach nó a ndéantar saoránach Éireannach de (ar shlí seachas trí eadóirsiú nó de bhua an ailt seo nó alt 12) tar éis an phósta, ní dhéanfar saoránach Éireannach de de bhua an phósta amháin ach féadfaidh sé bheith ina shaoránach amhlaidh má thaisceann sé dearbhú sa tslí fhorordaithe leis an Aire, nó le haon mhisiún taidhleoireachta nó oifig chonsalachta Éireannach, tráth nach luaithe ná trí bliana ó dháta an phósta nó ón dáta a ndearnadh saoránach Éireannach den duine is deireanaí a luadh (ar shlí seachas mar a dúradh) ag glacadh le saoránacht Éireann mar shaoránacht iarphósta: ar choinníoll—

(a) go bhfuil an pósadh ar marthain ar dháta taiscthe an dearbhaithe, agus

(b) go bhfuil an lánúin ina gcónaí le chéile mar fhearchéile agus mar bhanchéile agus go gcuirfidh an céile is saoránach Éireannach mionnscríbhinn sa chéill sin isteach nuair a bheidh an dearbhú á thaisceadh.

(2) Beidh duine a thaiscfidh dearbhú faoi fho-alt (1) ina shaoránach Éireannach ó dháta an taiscthe.

(3) Aon duine a phós, roimh dháta rite an Achta seo, duine ba shaoránach Éireannach (ar shlí seachas trí eadóirsiú) agus a ndearnadh saoránach Éireannach eadóirsithe de, measfar dearbhú faoi fho-alt (1) a bheith taiscthe aige ar dháta rite an Achta seo agus dá bhua sin, agus ní trí eadóirsiú, is saoránach Éireannach a bheidh ann feasta.”.

Coinníollacha maidir le deimhniú a eisiúint.

4.—Cuirtear leis seo an t-alt seo a leanas in ionad alt 15 d'Acht 1956:

“15.—(1) Nuair a gheobhaidh an tAire iarratas ar dheimhniú eadóirseachta féadfaidh sé dá lánrogha, an t-iarratas a dheonú más deimhin leis maidir leis an iarratasóir—

(a) go bhfuil aois iomlán aige;

(b) gur duine dea-charachtair é;

(c) gur chónaigh sé go leanúnach sa Stát ar feadh bliana amháin díreach roimh dháta an iarratais agus go raibh ceithre bliana san iomlán caite aige ina chónaí sa Stát i gcaitheamh na n-ocht mbliana díreach roimh an tréimhse sin;

(d) go bhfuil sé ar intinn aige, de mheon macánta, fanacht ina chónaí sa Stát tar éis a eadóirsithe; agus

(e) go ndearna sé, os comhair Breithimh den Chúirt Dúiche i gcúirt oscailte nó i cibé slí a cheadóidh an tAire ar chúiseanna speisialta, dearbhú sa tslí fhorordaithe go mbeidh sé dílis don náisiún agus tairiseach don Stát.

(2) San Acht seo gairtear coinníollacha le haghaidh eadóirsiú de na coinníollacha a shonraítear i míreanna (a) go (e) d'fho-alt (1).”.

Cumhacht chun coinníollacha eadóirsithe a ligean thar ceal i gcásanna áirithe.

5.—Cuirtear leis seo an t-alt seo a leanas in ionad alt 16 d'Acht 1956:

“16.—Féadfaidh an tAire, dá lánrogha, iarratas ar dheimhniú eadóirseachta a dheonú sna cásanna seo a leanas, bíodh nach gcomhlíontar na coinníollacha le haghaidh eadóirsiú (nó aon cheann áirithe acu):

(a) más de bhunadh Éireannach an t-iarratasóir nó má tá caidreamh aige le hÉirinn;

(b) más tuismitheoir nó caomhnóir an t-iarratasóir atá ag gníomhnú thar ceann mionaoisigh de bhunadh Éireannach nó mionaoisigh a bhfuil caidreamh aige le hÉirinn;

(c) más saoránach Éireannach eadóirsithe an t-iarratasóir atá ag gníomhú thar ceann linbh mhionaoisigh de chuid an iarratasóra;

(d) má tá an t-iarratasóir pósta le saoránach Éireannach eadóirsithe;

(e) má tá an t-iarratasóir pósta le duine is saoránach Éireannach (ar shlí seachas trí eadóirsiú);

(f) má tá, nó má bhí, cónaí ar an iarratasóir lasmuigh den Stát sa tseirbhís phoiblí;

(g) más é atá san iarratasóir duine is dídeanaí de réir bhrí Choinbhinsiún na Náisiún Aontaithe i dtaobh Stádas Dídeanaithe den 28ú lá d'Iúil, 1951, agus an Phrótacail maidir le Seasamh Dídeanaithe den 31ú lá d'Eanáir, 1967, nó duine gan Stát de réir bhrí Choinbhinsiún na Náisiún Aontaithe i dtaobh Stádas Daoine gan Stát den 28ú lá de Mheán Fómhair, 1954.”.

Leasú ar alt 17 d'Acht 1956.

6.—Leasaítear leis seo alt 17 d'Acht 1956 tríd an bhfo-alt seo a leanas a chur in ionad fho-alt (2):

“(2) Má dhéanann duine ar bith, le haghaidh nó i leith iarratais ar dheimhniú eadóirseachta, aon ráiteas nó faisnéis a thabhairt don Aire is eol dó a bheith bréagach nó míthreorach in aon phonc ábhartha, beidh sé ciontach i gcion agus ar é a chiontú go hachomair dlífear fíneáil nach mó ná cúig chéad punt nó, de rogha na cúirte, príosúnacht ar feadh tréimhse nach faide ná sé mhí nó an fhíneáil sin agus an phríosúnacht sin le chéile a chur air.”.

Leasú ar alt 21 d'Acht 1956.

7.—Leasaítear leis seo alt 21 d'Acht 1956 tríd an bhfo-alt seo a leanas a chur in ionad fho-alt (1):

“(1) Más saoránach de thír eile saoránach Éireannach d'aois iomlán nó má tá sé nó sí ar tí bheith ina shaoránach nó ina saoránach de thír eile, agus mar gheall air sin gur mian leis nó léi saoránacht a thréigean, féadfaidh sé nó sí déanamh amhlaidh, má tá gnáthchónaí air nó uirthi lasmuigh den Stát, trí dhearbhú eachtrannachta a thaisceadh leis an Aire sa tslí fhorordaithe, agus, ar an dearbhú a thaisceadh nó, mura saoránach den tír sin é nó í an tráth sin, ar shaoránach den sórt sin a dhéanamh de nó di, scoirfidh sé nó sí de bheith ina shaoránach Éireannach nó ina saoránach Éireannach.”.

Foráil idirlinne.

8.—I gcás aon duine a bhféadfaí saoránach Éireannach a dhéanamh de murach an tAcht seo, féadfar, ar feadh na tréimhse sé mhí dar tosach dáta rite an Achta seo, saoránach Éireannach a dhéanamh de amhlaidh.

Gearrtheideal, comhlua agus forléiriú.

9.—(1) Féadfar Acht Náisiúntachta agus Saoránachta Éireann, 1986, a ghairm den Acht seo.

(2) Féadfar Achtanna Náisiúntachta agus Saoránachta Éireann, 1956 agus 1986, a ghairm d'Acht 1956 agus den Acht seo le chéile.

(3) Forléireofar Acht 1956 agus an tAcht seo le chéile mar aon Acht amháin.

Number 23 of 1986

IRISH NATIONALITY AND CITIZENSHIP ACT, 1986

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 23 of 1986

IRISH NATIONALITY AND CITIZENSHIP ACT, 1986

Definition.

1.—In this Act “the Act of 1956” means the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956.

Amendment of section 7 of Act of 1956.

2.—Section 7 of the Act of 1956, which relates to formalities to be complied with in certain cases, is hereby amended by the insertion of the following proviso after paragraph (b) of subsection (2):

“Provided that the citizenship of a person who, after the passing of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1986, is registered under section 27 shall commence only as on and from the date of such registration.”.

Acquisition of citizenship on marriage.

3.—The following section is hereby substituted for section 8 of the Act of 1956:

“8.—(1) A person who is an alien at the date of that person's marriage to a person who is, or who after the marriage becomes, an Irish citizen (otherwise than by naturalisation or by virtue of this section or section 12) shall not become an Irish citizen merely by virtue of the marriage, but may do so by lodging, not earlier than three years from the date of the marriage or from the date on which the person last mentioned became an Irish citizen (otherwise than as aforesaid), whichever is the later, a declaration in the prescribed manner with the Minister, or with any Irish diplomatic mission or consular office, accepting Irish citizenship as post-nuptial citizenship: provided that—

(a) the marriage is subsisting at the date of lodgment of the declaration, and

(b) the couple are living together as husband and wife and the spouse who is an Irish citizen submits an affidavit to that effect when the declaration is being lodged.

(2) A person who lodges a declaration under subsection (1) shall be an Irish citizen from the date of lodgment.

(3) A person who, before the passing of this Act, married a person who was an Irish citizen (otherwise than by naturalisation) and became a naturalised Irish citizen shall be deemed to have lodged a declaration under subsection (1) on the passing of this Act and thereafter shall be an Irish citizen by virtue thereof and not by naturalisation.”.

Conditions for issue of certificate.

4.—The following section is hereby substituted for section 15 of the Act of 1956:

“15.—(1) Upon receipt of an application for a certificate of naturalisation, the Minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant the application, if satisfied that the applicant—

(a) is of full age;

(b) is of good character;

(c) has had a period of one year's continuous residence in the State immediately before the date of the application and, during the eight years immediately preceding that period, has had a total residence in the State amounting to four years;

(d) intends in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation; and

(e) has made, either before a Justice of the District Court in open court or in such manner as the Minister, for special reasons, allows, a declaration in the prescribed manner, of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State.

(2) The conditions specified in paragraphs (a) to (e) of subsection (1) are referred to in this Act as conditions for naturalisation.”.

Power to dispense with conditions of naturalisation in certain cases.

5.—The following section is hereby substituted for section 16 of the Act of 1956:

“16.—The Minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation in the following cases, although the conditions for naturalisation (or any of them) are not complied with:

(a) where the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish associations;

(b) where the applicant is a parent or guardian acting on behalf of a minor of Irish descent or Irish associations;

(c) where the applicant is a naturalised Irish citizen acting on behalf of a minor child of the applicant;

(d) where the applicant is married to a naturalised Irish citizen;

(e) where the applicant is married to a person who is an Irish citizen (otherwise than by naturalisation);

(f) where the applicant is or has been resident abroad in the public service;

(g) where the applicant is a person who is a refugee within the meaning of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of the 28th day of July, 1951, and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees of the 31st day of January, 1967, or is a Stateless person within the meaning of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons of the 28th day of September, 1954.”.

Amendment of section 17 of Act of 1956.

6.—Section 17 of the Act of 1956 is hereby amended by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (2):

“(2) If any person, for the purposes of or in relation to an application for a certificate of naturalisation, gives or makes to the Minister any statement or information which is to his knowledge false or misleading in any material respect, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred pounds or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.”.

Amendment of section 21 of Act of 1956.

7.—Section 21 of the Act of 1956 is hereby amended by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (1):

“(1) If an Irish citizen of full age is or is about to become a citizen of another country and for that reason desires to renounce citizenship, he or she may do so, if ordinarily resident outside the State, by lodging with the Minister a declaration of alienage in the prescribed manner, and, upon lodgment of the declaration or, if not then a citizen of that country, upon becoming such, shall cease to be an Irish citizen.”.

Transitional provision.

8.—For the period of six months commencing on the passing of this Act, any person who but for this Act could become an Irish citizen may continue to do so.

Short title, collective citation and construction.

9.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1986.

(2) The Act of 1956 and this Act may be cited together as the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts, 1956 and 1986.

(3) The Act of 1956 and this Act shall be construed together as one Act.