Minister for Justice Simon Harris TD and Minister for Children, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman will welcome roughly 1500 new Irish citizens at Dublin’s first in-person Citizenship Ceremonies in over four years.
The Ceremonies today are being held in the RDS in Ballsbridge as applicants from over 100 countries around the world will be conferred as Irish citizens. Minister Harris will address the first ceremony while Minister O’Gorman will address the second ceremony.
Speaking ahead of the first ceremony today, Minister Harris said,
“It is a unique privilege to attend today’s ceremony and welcome our nation’s newest citizens. Being conferred with Irish citizenship means having the same rights and privileges as any other Irish person. It means being entitled to an Irish passport, it means being able to vote in referenda and it means being able to run for public office. These are life-changing rights and ones which I hope our new citizens enjoy.
Today’s ceremonies underline the benefits immigration bring to this country; not only do people who move here from abroad perform important roles in areas of our workforce and our economy but they also enrich our culture and play an important role in local communities. I think it is so important to remember that on days like today and to celebrate the contribution our citizens have already made to the country.
While venues in Dublin, such as the EPIC Museum and Croke Park, played host to virtual Citizenship Ceremonies during the course of Covid-19 pandemic, today’s ceremonies are the first time in-person ceremonies have been hosted in Dublin since a ceremony was held in the National Concert Hall in September 2018.
Minister Harris continued,
“I am very pleased to have in-person ceremonies back in the capital after such a long break. While the virtual ceremonies were unique and a necessity during the pandemic, there is nothing quite like large numbers of new citizens gathering and celebrating together. I am hopeful that we will see more Citizenship Ceremonies held in Dublin and other parts of the country over the coming months and years.”
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, who will attend today’s second ceremony, said,
“I am honoured to meet our new citizens today and to congratulate them as they receive their Irish citizenship. The richness of our nation is not measured in our wealth, but in our people, in our differences, our similarities and our shared home here on this island. I offer my congratulations to our new citizens as they embark on the next steps of their lives in Ireland.”
The Presiding Officers at the ceremonies is retired Judge Paddy McMahon, who will administer the Declaration of Fidelity to the Irish Nation and Loyalty to the State.
The new citizens also undertook to faithfully observe the law of the State and respect its democratic values.