Rush for Irish passports brought on by Brexit fears

Rattser wrote: »

I can see why those born abroad to Irish parents should be allowed obtain citizenship. It makes sense somewhat. I'm really struggling to find a reason why people two or three generations removed should be given citizenship. They're not Irish. Someone born and raised abroad to parents born and raised abroad is not Irish. It's mad to say otherwise.

Irish citizenship should be for those who are a part of Irish society. By birth, parentage, being raised here or by moving and living here for a significant amount of time.

This.

I was born and raised in England to an English mother (who had Irish parents) and an Irish father. I left when I was 18 after many years of wanting to leave. Moved to Ireland, been here nearly 7 years. I work, vote and this is my home I won't leave here. I may have automatically been an Irish citizen since my birth through my father but I honestly didn't feel entitled to call myself that the day I moved here. I was here a few years and part of society and I obviously feel like a citizen now.

People with an Irish great-granny calling themselves citizens písses me off. Some won't even step foot here and the ones that do are tourists or immigrants until you've spent sufficient time here. It isn't fair on other nationalities that come here to work and have to wait years for citizenship.

Having lived in Germany for the last 17 years I was recently faced with the option of taking a German passport. This is something I didnt do as I dont consider myself as being German and am proud of my Irish roots.

Now on the matter of giving passports to people entitled to them I am personally of the following opinion:
1. The person is born in Ireland and therefore entitled
2. A parent holds an Irish passport, lives in another state and wishes that his/her child has an Irish passport.....No problem

On the matter of my grandmother holding an Irish passport and therefore it entitles me to have one.....I have a very simple solution...
1. Grandmother and a parent hold a current Irish passport.....then No problem.
2. Grandmother has/had an Irish passport, parent has held a passport to another country for a period of time, child holds the same citizenship as the parent......then wants to be Irish....OK they can be Irish but have to either.....
1. Pay above and beyond the normal fee
2. Return to Ireland and be part of society without living off benifits

It cannot be a case of ohhh we want to be Irish now as we have European benifits, something we wont have if we are British.....lets be Irish for the craic. What the government has to remember is one very simple thing (if I remember rightly Dermot Ahern publically said something similar when minister of FA)"Every passport holder has a right to enter the country when and if they wish. When there they also have the right to basic medical and social care.......etc.etc.. Is it fair to expect the Irish tax payer to cover these costs or the EU??

The Irish emigrants had the good luck of emigrating to countries that were and are to this day prosperous. Ireland itself had a very good run for the fifteen years prior to 2008. It is highly unlikely that children or grandchildren of Irish emigrants will return to Ireland from countries that are more prosperous and have lower unemployment rates. However, the Irish/EU passport allows the German and French speakers to enter German and French universities on the same conditions including fees as German and French born students. They can travel the world more conveniently with 2 passports than with one. This does not cost Ireland a single cent. The type of begrudgery and skulduggery that brought Ireland down in 2008 is a homegrown pestilence that might be lessened slightly by allowing people who have lived in well governed countries to vote in General Elections. Only the emigrants understand the importance of governing for the common good as opposed to what passes for good government in Ireland. A good example for what ails Ireland is the "water" question. A country where mothers forbid their children to dig holes in the back yard because the 2 year could fall in and drown is now in a turmoil over how water can be managed. I hear little that makes sense and the only consistent thread is "we will not pay for water".

It would make sense to hear.
1) The quality of water delivered in Ireland is highly variable with some of it being positively poisonous.

2) What would be the best way to manage and charge for Ireland's potable water resources. Nationally, Provincially, by County, by watershed.

3) Should water charges be incorporated into Property Taxes in full or in part, in part implying metering and charging.

4. How can water quality be assured. By a National Agency conducting random sampling and testing, by residents submitting samples for testing to the agency. By making delivery of non potable water a criminal offense. By electing honest politicians who might have a faint notion of what constitutes the public good.

5. Delivering potable water costs, in Ireland very little compared with other drier countries. The costs must be accounted for on income tax, property tax, wealth tax, tariffs, fees, metered charges. Or you can disconnect and run the down pipe off the roof into the kitchen and bathroom. Which would leave you with the sewage disposal fee unless you disconnected from that and subscribed to a holding tank and weekly pump out service.
The root of the problem is deeply embedded in the culture and will not be rooted out any time soon. What an exceptional culture it is.

Rattser wrote: »

The point of citizenship is not how 'Irish' you feel.

Didn't we have a referendum a few years back to say that this pretty much was the case? Changed articles 2 and 3.