The granting of Irish citizenship is a “gift” – and Ireland shouldn’t think twice about revoking it from those who commit heinous crimes or pose a threat to the State, according to Ciara Kelly.

She was speaking as Cabinet heard that new legislation to allow for the revoking of citizenship certificates is set to be enacted before the Dáil summer break.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee told her ministerial colleagues the laws would only be used in limited circumstances – such as when a person who has been granted citizenship is viewed as a credible threat to the State.

It is part of a list of new immigration measures being brought forward by Government aimed at tightening border security.

The measures include increased collection of fingerprints and photographs of new arrivals, rapid processing of people who arrive without documents or from ‘safe’ countries and increased deportation for those who are refused protection.

Citizenship

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, presenter Ciara Kelly said she had no problem with revoking citizenship in extreme cases.

“They say it will be under limited circumstances,” she said.

“My guess would be that it would be when some egregious act, some heinous crime, has been committed by somebody and then they do it.

“Do I object to that? No and I'll tell you why. Because I do believe that if we grant citizenship to somebody and then we are all equal under the eyes of the law, it is a gift.

“It is a gift we have given somebody from somewhere else.

“I have no problem doing that for people, I have no problem welcoming people to this country, but if you come into this country having been given that gift, and if you bite the hand that feeds you, if you turn around and you murder somebody, or you rape somebody or you do something that we would consider to be a heinous crime, then I don't care if you're kicked out of the country.

“I don't care if your citizenship is removed. Personally, to me, you have crossed a Rubicon by your act. So yeah, out you go.”

'Muscle flexing'

Fellow presenter Jonathan Healy said the package is “a bit about muscle flexing and Government trying to tell a worried electorate that they're doing something”.

“Is it not a bit Orwellian? That all animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others?” he asked.

“Anyone who's ever attended a citizenship ceremony in any shape or form would realise the value that people place on this.

“What I'm concerned about is that those people who have been granted citizenship will wake up this morning and hear that and go, ‘Well does that mean that I'm not a citizen really?’

“‘That they can take it off me if they really want to?’”

Ciara said she believes those very same people would be happy to see those that commit heinous crimes deported so that, “they aren't all tarred with one brush by people who are racist”.

Jonathan warned that introducing this law now could allow later Governments to revoke citizenship for other reasons.