“These families have made a permanent commitment to this country and it would be deeply unfair to move the goalposts for these individuals now. It must not happen. The five-year rule must stay for anyone who is currently in this country.”

“I will give the example of one who arrived in 2023 and planned their life around a five-year plan that would see a new life for them. They came here with good intentions. That has now moved to eight years. They are not looking for special treatment but are asking why the goalposts are being moved halfway through the match. My first ask is about transitional protection. Should people already on the path in Ireland be judged by the rules they came in under? … I also believe that changing the goalposts in the middle of the match is unfair.”

“I think five years is enough if the application process is tough enough in the first place. … In that context, there are many here who are already making a good contribution to our country who should be rewarded through that pathway.”

“In fairness to the universal theme that has been evident in this Chamber, so far at least – and I have listened to the entire debate – every person who has stood up has spoken about the value and importance of migration, in all parties and none. … I urge the Minister of State and the senior Minister in the Department to examine this issue of being proportionate and fair to people who have played by the rules. They should be covered by the existing regime and not by any new regime that will be introduced.”

“I have a particular concern about the proposal to extend the residency period from five to eight years. I have constituents and friends who may already have started in the system or have not yet applied for citizenship and often have Irish partners. They are very concerned about these proposals. … It would send out an important message to those already in Ireland if the five-year requirement were to continue.”

“However, like other speakers, I would say there are people in our State at the moment who came here and who started on the citizenship journey. They are very far along that journey and their circumstances need to be taken into account.”

“Some people have come here, worked, paid their taxes, raised children and built their lives around an understanding of the pathway to citizenship that existed when they arrived. They now need clarity and certainty. They need to know where they stand.”

“However, reform must also be fair. Many people came here on work permits. They are nurses in our hospitals, carers in our nursing homes and staff in our businesses. They played by the rules as they were and I welcome the assurance that they will be fair. … First, that clear transitional arrangements for those already living and working here are set out early, so they can plan with certainty.”

“I understand the eight-year rule that the Minister is introducing but I would ask him to give consideration to some individuals who have been in the system, who have made Ireland their home and who are now finding that they will have to extend their time.”

“I look forward to a detailed debate there because there are questions with regard to addressing the transitionary arrangements. However, in the same way that these are common-sense proposals, I expect that those transition arrangements will also be dealt with in a common-sense way.”

“There should be some flexibility for those people who are in a family situation, co-parenting with an Irish citizen, and who should be in a position not to have to wait a further three years if they can satisfy the other criteria proposed to be brought into law.”

“It seems a little unfair, if they have chosen to stay here to study and then contribute to society, that we would not recognise those years.”

“I understand that but it does not say what specific problem each new condition that is being introduced is meant to fix. … If you name the problem then you can measure the answer.”

“As the Irish Council for Civil Liberties has said, no rationale, research or evidence has been presented by the Department for these proposed changes and no issues have been identified in the current system.”

“I would welcome discussion around the extension from five to eight years to see what is the basis for it, without prejudice, necessarily, but to understand the reasoning behind it.”

“That said, I fundamentally disagree with the proposal to change the basis on which citizenship by naturalisation would come about. In my opinion, we do not need to increase it to eight years. … I do not see the benefit for Ireland to increasing the period for naturalisation from five to eight years. I also do not think that anybody comes to this country on the basis of how long it takes before they apply for citizenship by naturalisation.”

“It does not bring us in line with Europe. Thirteen of the 27 EU countries have a requirement of five years or fewer for citizenship.”

“Claims that changes bring us into line with Europe do not ring true as several European countries retain the five-year rule, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and many others.”

“This country does not function without foreign workers. If the people who come here to give us the benefit of their expertise, hard work and experience were to leave, we would not have a healthcare sector, hospitality sector or tech sector.”

“These workers were actively recruited by State agencies to address critical staff shortages. … They work and pay their taxes, they are law-abiding and they have brought their families here with them. They are embedded in local communities, on parents’ councils in the schools their children attend, and they are members of our sports clubs, with many playing our national games.”

“They came here in their thousands under the rules we had already set. They are nurses, engineers and carers, etc. People were recruited under the critical skills permit because we needed them. … The people who staff our wards and build our homes deserve fair play when it comes to this.”

“For someone who has moved to Ireland, built a life here, worked here, raised a family and become part of the local community, naturalisation can be an incredibly significant moment.”

“Our birth rate is falling. Our elderly demographic is growing larger. There will be one million people over 65 by 2030 and 1.6 million by 2045. We need migration to keep this country and this economy stable.”

“There can be no doubt that migration has strengthened Ireland and enriched our society in countless ways.”

“People from every corner of the world have chosen to live, work, study and raise families here. They have contributed enormously to our economy, our public services, our communities and our culture, and they will continue to do so in the years ahead.”

“A rules-based system benefits everyone. It provides clarity and certainty for applicants, supports confidence among employers and communities and enables the State to manage migration in an orderly, fair and sustainable way.”