Madam, – Having been granted Irish citizenship a number of years ago, I can assure your correspondent (“New Irish citizens will have to swear oath of fidelity”, Home News, June 17th) that, while not an overly ceremonious moment in the District Court, each new citizen had to swear an oath of “fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State”. However, you are also reminded in the fine print of the certificate of naturalisation that you retain your citizenship at the discretion of the Minister for Justice, which effectively means you never become an unconditional equal member of the Irish citizenry.
I am reminded of those two phrases in the oath on a regular basis as we all contribute to the effort to overcome the significant challenges faced by the State, but one cannot forget the ever-present sword hanging over you should the Minister decide to change his mind. – Yours, etc,