Citizenship ceremonies are a “sharp reminder” of the importance of diversity in Ireland at a time of debate about refugees. Justice Minister Simon Harris has said.
He made the comments as 1,500 people from 100 countries across the world were conferred as Irish citizens at ceremonies in Dublin’s RDS on Friday.
While venues in Dublin, such as the EPIC Museum and Croke Park, played host to virtual Citizenship Ceremonies during the course of the pandemic, it was the first time in-person ceremonies have been hosted in Dublin since September 2018.
READ MORE: Irish grandmother facing homelessness this month after lifting of eviction ban
As the war in Ukraine continues and the number of international protection applicants from other countries continues to rise, there have been protests around the country.
A number of protestors have been targeted by far-right groups whom the Government fear is “hijacking legitimate concerns”.
Minister Harris said that the small number of “far-right fringe actors” do not speak for the country and that a “celebration” should be made of people becoming Irish citizens.
He said: “There's been lots of discussion and debate about migration and immigration.
“What today is a sharp reminder of is how our country is all the richer for the diversity, for the inclusion and, indeed, for the values that we show on a day like today.
“It's not that many years ago that to get citizenship in Ireland, you might have been sitting down the back of the court and you'd be called up by the judge at the end of dealing with the district court list.
“We now celebrate citizenship in Ireland. It is something to be valued. It's something to be treasured.
“We watched fellow new citizens now taking an oath of loyalty to our state, fidelity to the nation and it is a real celebration.
“We should never forget in any debate, legitimate or otherwise in relation to issues, the fact that this country is all the better for those who have come here and chosen to make Ireland their home, whether that's people working in our health services, whether it's people working in businesses and towns and villages across our country, whether it's people involved in our sports club on our rich fabric there as well.
“It is a sharp reminder of the benefit and strength of our nation from the diversity of our people.
“Changes were made a number of years ago to our citizenship processes and a conscious decision was taken to celebrate citizenship to make a day out of it, quite frankly.”
Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman also attended the citizenship ceremonies and said that he was “honoured” to meet the new Irish citizens.
He added: “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.”
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