Over 6,000 individuals are expected to obtain their Irish citizenship during seven ceremonies taking place at the INEC Killarney in County Kerry, reports RTE.
This year marks a record high for the number of individuals completing the final step to becoming Irish citizens, with more than 30,000 decisions made in 2024.
This reflects a notable increase from the 20,000 decisions reached in 2023 and is almost double the amount of decisions issued in 2022, reports RTE.
The ceremonies began yesterday and will carry on today, with applicants hailing from 140 different countries worldwide being naturalised.
Meaningful changes have been made to the Citizenship Division of the Department of Justice to expedite the process, reports RTE.
The digitization of services has enhanced the convenience of submitting an application.
The Department of Justice mentioned in a statement that it anticipates the majority of applications based on residency in Ireland will receive a decision within a year, reports RTE.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee extended her congratulations to the new citizens prior to the ceremonies, which began in 2011.
“I encourage our new citizens to continue to contribute to building inclusive communities. In forging connections between our cultures, we can enrich our social fabric. Our new citizens play an essential role fuelling growth in our economy. They also contribute immensely to industries where we have labour shortages like construction, agriculture and healthcare. They also make our workforce more diverse and inclusive,” she said, reports RTE.
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