More people become Irish citizens than ever before

Read more: Irish emigration figures mirror the 1980s

The Irish Department of Justice have revealed that 6,300 people obtained Irish citizenship in through naturalization in 2010. This figure is higher than 2009.

A department spokesperson said the number of people withdrawing from the process in 2010 was “negligible”. She said “The 2010 volume of applications for naturalization is expected to be broadly comparable to 2009…There are negligible withdrawals any year and in the main, people simply slow down their responses to us. These have no effect on overall numbers."

As these figures increase so does the number of Irish diaspora across the globe with thousands of people from 70 countries worldwide seeking certificates from Ireland over the last year.

The Department of Foreign Affairs have also announced that they are continuing to work on the plans for the new “Certificate of Irishness”. Negotiations are ongoing and an announcement is expected soon.