By Chinedu Onyejelem

Fewer ‘New Irish’ are applying for naturalisation, according to figures released by the Department of Justice.

Over the past five years, nearly 95,000 new Irish citizens have been accepted. But a breakdown of the figures shows that 2016 has the lowest number of newly naturalised at 9,938 compared to 13,565 in 2015.

Numbers were at their peak in 2012 with 25,110 naturalised citizens, followed by 24,243 in 2013 and 21,103 in 2014.
More than 22,000 of all persons granted citizenship in the period were children from so many backgrounds.

Metro Éireann can also reveal that the number of those awaiting a decision on their application for naturalisation is also lower – and this may mean fewer citizenship ceremonies in the new year.

Justice has already confirmed that the next such ceremony will take place after Easter on 21 April 2017.

Meanwhile, more than 27,000 people were refused citizenship in the same five-year period. 

Provisional figures for 2016 indicate the lowest number of refusals so far, at 265 as of press time. Refusals were at their peak in 2014 at 638.

“Applications are refused for a variety of reasons, for instance, incomplete forms or applicants not meeting the criteria as set out in legislation,” said Justice.