Sir, – The UK government has undertaken to give Irish citizens born in the Republic but living in Northern Ireland the right to apply easily for British citizenship without having to take a test and pay a naturalisation fee of £1,500 (News, January 26th).
It is to be hoped that the Government of the Republic of Ireland will reciprocate. I was born in Yorkshire but since 1967 I have lived continuously in either Northern Ireland (37 years) or the Republic of Ireland (21 years).
Under present regulations, an application for Irish citizenship would cost me €175 (plus a delay of six months to two years) followed by a further fee of €950 to complete the process. The Belfast Agreement emphasised the need for parity of esteem.
Promoting the change in UK law, DUP MP Gavin Robinson said: “Those who say ‘just apply for naturalisation in the normal way’ fail to recognise or respond to the special relationship that our nations have.”
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Will the Irish Government respond? – Yours, etc,
DAVID S ROBERTSON,
Enniskillen,
Co Fermanagh.
