Irish Government ‘fully aware’ of concerns over citizenship rights in Northern Ireland

Human rights chiefs warned earlier this week that the UK Government’s decision to treat Irish citizens born in Northern Ireland as British citizens rather than EEA nationals went “against the grain” of the 1998 agreement.

Sinn Féin Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile pressed the Irish Government for a response in the Seanad this morning, saying that the UK Government was “disregarding the Good Friday Agreement in a reckless fashion”.

Helen McEntee TD, minister of state for European affairs, replied: “We are fully aware, and the Government is fully aware, of the concerns … raised for Irish citizens in Northern Ireland, particularly … given so much of the uncertainty that surrounds Brexit at the moment.”

Ms McEntee said she and Tánaiste Simon Coveney “will continue to engage with the UK government to ensure that the important citizenship and identity provisions that both of these provisions of the Good Friday Agreement are upheld in all of the relevant policy areas”.