Jim O’Callaghan’s immigration crackdown: What are the new rules? Louise Burne joins The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast to discuss the ‘biggest reform of Ireland’s citizenship rules in a generation’ Tue, 08 Sep, 2026 – 15:49Deirdre O’Shaughnessy
At the Fianna Fáil think-in this week, the Government announced what they called the “biggest reform of Ireland’s citizenship rules in a generation”.
On Wednesday, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan will bring to Cabinet a new bill setting out onerous new rules for migrants who want to become Irish citizens.
The rules, which will affect people who already live and work here, include an eight year waiting time before applying, a block on people who have received certain social welfare payments becoming citizens, an English (or Irish) language proficiency test, and conditions around habitual residency. They will also impact spouses of Irish citizens.
Political correspondent Louise Burne joins The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast for a rundown of the new rules, a discussion of the political context behind them and the reaction from politics and civil society groups.
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ieExplains: What are the proposed changes to citizenship rules and what effect may they have?
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