There has been a huge surge in people from the UK applying for Irish citizenship since the EU referendum vote.
It is thought that around ten per cent of the UK’s population meet the criteria to be accepted by the Irish government.
There were about 45,000 applications in the first half of 2018, virtually the same as for the entire 2015, the year leading up to the EU vote
Neale Richmond, chairman of the Brexit committee in the Irish senate said there had been significant increase in applications in recent times.
Richmond said: “At least 10% of the UK’s population, not including Northern Ireland, are estimated to qualify for an Irish passport and in light of Brexit, many including a number of my own family members are staking their claim to an Irish passport.
“Figures released to me by the Irish embassy in London have shown that there is no sign of this rush for Irish passports abating.”
He continued: “While many in the UK are concerned with the looming disaster of Brexit, we must seize the positives from this new wave of people reconnecting with their Irish heritage, our post-Brexit UK-Irish relations can be built on a strong, connected, diaspora.”
