A language test for citizenship applicants is under consideration in order to improve immigrants’ integration into Irish society, a senior Department of Justice official said on Monday, as more than 3,500 people from more than 160 countries took Irish citizenship in Killarney. Ireland does not currently require new citizens to be proficient in English or Irish, and it has not yet been decided if new requirements will stipulate either language. “This State does not require you to forget the country you come form or erase your personal histories. “But it is also a place of openness and diversity,” he said, encouraging the new citizens to “participate actively” in their communities. The number of British people taking Irish citizenship has soared since the Brexit referendum, officials said.

Source: The Irish Times May 21, 2018 18:11 UTC