Athlone resident among 6,000 to receive Irish citizenship

Athlone resident Xingang Li was one of 6,000 people to receive their Irish citizenship at a ceremony which took place in the Convention Centre Dublin this week.

Six ceremonies were held over the two days by Minister of State with responsibility for Migration, Colm Brophy, who was joined by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, and Ministers of State Robert Troy and Neale Richmond.

Applicants from over 138 countries and across all 32 counties on the island will make a declaration of fidelity and loyalty to the State and become Irish citizens.

Speaking at the event on Tuesday (September 16), Minister Troy said he was proud to be involved in such a 'special moment' in the lives of those receiving their citizenship.

"For many of you, the journey to Irish citizenship has been one of great personal effort and sacrifice. This path may have begun many years ago, and will shortly come to an end. But a new journey will begin. So let me start with a simple but heartfelt message:

"Thank you for choosing Ireland as your home and thank you for the contribution you make to our wonderful country!"

In just over two years the Citizenship Division of the Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications in 2023, and nearly 31,000 in 2024.

Significant changes have been introduced in the Citizenship Division of the Department of Justice to speed up the application process for applicants, including the introduction of an online digital application, online payments, and eVetting.

As a result, processing times are now decreasing year on year. The length of time it takes to process an application has dropped from 15 months in 2023 to 8 months in 2024.