The Government is examining plans to fast-track citizenship for immigrants who complete military service in Ireland.
Sources say the proposals under consideration include allowing foreign nationals to become naturalised citizens after serving in the military for a number of years and waiving the standard fees for citizenship applications.
Immigrants must have lived in the Republic for five of the previous nine years before being allowed to apply for naturalisation and must pay about €1,000 in fees.
The proposals under consideration are similar to the system in operation in the United States, which allows military members with one year’s service to apply for citizenship.
According to the latest Strategic Framework for the Transformation of the Defence Forces, which was published on Tuesday by the Department of Defence, proposals for fast-track citizenship applications for military members are undergoing “further evaluation”.
Easier access to naturalised citizenship is one of several proposals outlined in the framework to boost Defence Forces numbers and increase diversity within the organisation. The Government has committed to increasing military strength from the current 7,750 to 11,500 by 2028, a target it is all but certain to miss.
Citizenship is not a requirement to join the Defence Forces. Those with a right to live in the Republic and those who reside in the State, including refugees and EU citizens, are eligible for service.
There are about 250 foreign-born members of the Defence Forces, from more than 30 countries. Most are from the European Union, but in recent years, there has been an increase in recruits from outside the bloc.
Other measures outlined in the plans include boosting annual recruitment numbers to 900, persuading former members to rejoin and increasing the number of roles for civilians.
The Department of Defence says it expects to complete an evaluation of the proposal by the middle of this year.
Offering military personnel a path to citizenship was one of the recommendations contained in the 2022 Commission on the Defence Forces report.
It said supports are needed “to enable the Defence Forces to become a more welcoming place for recruits from more diverse backgrounds and, as recognition of their commitment to this State, it is recommended that measures should be taken to enable easier access to Irish citizenship for those who serve in the Defence Forces”.
Military representative associations have called for similar measures in the past.
In 2021, the Permanent Defence Forces Other Ranks Representative Association said citizenship should be available cost-free after the required five years.
Last year, delegates from the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers called on the Government to “support non-Irish-born officers when applying for Irish citizenship”.
Releasing the latest strategic framework on Tuesday, Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said 54 of the commission’s recommendations (out of 130) have been implemented to date.
The document set out timelines for reaching the Government’s goals of dramatically increasing the Republic’s military strength, including acquiring military radar systems, counter-drone technology and new armoured vehicles.