An céad searmanais saoránachta ó thosaigh an phaindéim óstáilte ar an láthair ag an Aire McEntee chun fáilte a chur roimh shaoránaigh is nuaí na hÉireann
- 950 saoránach nua Éireannacha le freastal ar na searmanais
- Beidh an tAire McEntee i láthair ag na searmanais den chéad uair
- Déanfar na searmanais a shruthú beo ar chainéil meán sóisialta
20 Meitheamh 2022
Óstálfaidh an tAire Dlí agus Cirt, Helen McEntee, TD, dhá shearmanas saoránachta an-speisialta inniu chun fáilte a chur roimh 950 duine a ndéanfar saoránaigh Éireannacha díobh. Beidh an t-imeacht seo ar an gcéad cheann de shearmanais saoránachta ar an láthair ó bhuail ráig den phaindéim i Márta na bliana 2020.
Beidh na searmanais ar siúl san INEC i gCill Airne, Co. Chiarraí. Beidh an Breitheamh Uasal Bryan McMahon, Breitheamh den Ard-Chúirt ar Scor agus an Breitheamh Uasal Paddy McMahon, Breitheamh den Chúirt Dúiche ar Scor, i gceannas ar shearmanas amháin an duine.
Ag labhairt di roimh an imeacht dúirt an tAire McEntee,
“Is é seo an chéad uair a mbeidh sé de phribhléid agamsa a bheith i láthair go pearsanta ag searmanas saoránachta agus is mór an onóir a bheidh ann domsa fáilte a chur roimh an oiread sin daoine a bhfuil sé socraithe acu a mbaile féin a dhéanamh d’Éirinn.
Cé go bhfuil mé thar a bheith mórtasach as na himeachtaí ceiliúrtha atá reáchtáilte ag mo Roinn ar líne le dhá bhliain, ní bhuailfeadh rud ar bith an t-eispéireas sin aithne a chur ar na saoránaigh is nuaí atá againn agus an tábhacht a bhaineann leis dóibhsean go bhfuil a n-aistear saoránachta tugtha chun críche acu a fheiceáil go pearsanta.
Is ócáid ar chóir meas a bheith uirthi é teacht chun bheith i do shaoránach Éireannach, do shaoránaigh nua s'againne agus dá dteaghlaigh agus cairde araon. Trína gcuid cultúir agus traidisiúin ar leith féin a roinnt linn, beidh ár saoránaigh is nuaí ina gcuid dár bpobail agus is saibhre muid dá mbarr.”
Leanann na searmanais saoránachta ar an láthair i gCill Airne roinnt tionscnamh a forbraíodh agus a cuireadh i bhfeidhm le linn phaindéim COVID-19 chun fáilte a chur roimh shaoránaigh is nuaí na hÉireann.
In Iúil, 2020, bhí Éire ar an gcéad tír Eorpach chun searmanas ríomh-shaoránachta a óstáil agus reáchtáladh trí imeacht ceiliúrtha eile ar líne sa bhliain 2021.
In Eanáir, 2021, thug an tAire McEntee isteach córas sealadach a chuir ar chumas iarratasóirí a bpróiseas eadóirseachta a thabhairt chun críche trí dheimhniú reachtúil dílseachta a shíniú. Bhí deis ag breis is 15,000 iarratasóir a dteastais saoránachta a fháil tríd an gcóras sealadach.
Déanfar na searmanais a shruthú beo as Ionad Comhdhála Chill Airne ag 10.45am agus ag 1.45pm ar chainéil meán sóisialta na Roinne. Beidh daoine ábalta úsáid a bhaint as na haischlibeanna #IrishCitizen2022 agus #SaoránachÉireannach2022 chun a dtacaíocht a roinnt le saoránaigh nua na hÉireann.
Tá tús curtha le pleanáil do shearmanais ar an láthair eile i gCill Airne le haghaidh mhí na Nollag, 2022.
CRÍOCH.../
Nótaí d'eagarthóirí
- Tugadh cuireadh do thuairim is 1,300 iarratasóir chuig an searmanas ar an láthair ar an 20 Meitheamh agus ghlac thart ar 950 díobh leis.
- Ó cuireadh tús leis na searmanais saoránachta ar dtús, tá 154 searmanas reáchtáilte go dtí seo ag a bhfuair daoine as breis is 180 tír deimhniú ar a n-eadóirseacht.
- Tá saoránacht Éireannach faighte ag thart ar 148,000 duine go dtí seo ón mbliain 2011 i leith.
- Sa bhliain 2021, rinne an Roinn 11,512 cinneadh maidir le saoránacht, an leibhéal is airde ó bhí an bhliain 2015 ann.
- Tá líon céimeanna glactha chun luas a chur leis an bpróiseáil ar iarratais agus tá líon bearta digitithe tugtha isteach chomh maith chun éifeacht an phróisis a ardú, lena n-áirítear ríomh-Imréiteach cánach, ríomh-ghrinnfhiosrú agus íocaíochtaí ar líne.
- Leis an bpróiseas digitithe, beidh níos mó ama ag níos mó den fhoireann chun díriú ar iarratais a phróiseáil in am trátha agus i mbealach éifeachtach chun seirbhís do chustaiméirí a fheabhsú agus amanna feithimh a laghdú.
Minister McEntee hosts first in-person citizenship ceremonies since pandemic to welcome Ireland’s newest citizens
- 950 new Irish citizens to attend the ceremonies
- Minister McEntee will attend in person ceremonies for the first time
- Livestreaming on social media channels
20 June 2022
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, TD, will host two very special citizenship ceremonies today to welcome 950 people as they become Irish citizens. The event will be the first in-person citizenship ceremonies since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.
The ceremonies will take place at the INEC in Killarney, Co. Kerry. Retired High Court Judge, Mr Justice Bryan McMahon and Retired District Court Judge, Mr Paddy McMahon will preside over one ceremony each.
Speaking in advance of the event, Minister McEntee said,
“This will be the first time that I have had the privilege of attending a citizenship ceremony in person and I am truly honoured to welcome so many people who have chosen to make Ireland their home.
“While I am immensely proud of the online celebration events that my Department has held during the last two years, nothing beats the experience of meeting our newest citizens in person and seeing first-hand how much it means to them to have completed their citizenship journey.
“Becoming an Irish citizen is a moment to cherish, both for our new citizens themselves and also for their families and friends. By sharing their own unique cultures and traditions with us, our newest citizens become part of our communities and we are all the richer for it.”
The in-person citizenship ceremonies in Killarney follows a number of initiatives that were developed and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to welcome Ireland’s newest citizens. In July 2020, Ireland was the first European country to host an e-citizenship ceremony and this was followed by three online celebration events in 2021.
In January 2021, Minister McEntee introduced a temporary system that enabled applicants to complete their naturalisation process by signing a statutory declaration of loyalty. Over 15,000 applicants had the opportunity to receive their citizenship certificates through the temporary system.
The ceremonies will be live streamed from the Killarney Convention Centre at 10.45am and 1.45pm on the Department’s social media channels. People can use the hashtags #IrishCitizen2022 and #SaoránachÉireannach2022 to share their support for Ireland’s new citizens.
Planning for additional in-person ceremonies in December 2022 in Killarney is currently underway.
ENDS…/
Notes for editors
- Some 1,300 applicants were invited to the in-person ceremony on 20 June and approximately 950 accepted.
- Since citizenship ceremonies were first introduced, there has been a total of 154 ceremonies with people from over 180 countries receiving their certificates of naturalisation.
- To date approximately 148,000 people have received Irish citizenship since 2011.
- In 2021, the Department made 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest level since 2015.
- A number of steps have been taken to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments.
- The digitisation process will free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to customers and reduce waiting times.
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