SCANLON’S REGRET
TD SAYS HIS DÁIL QUESTION WASN’T MEANT TO CAUSE ANY OFFENCE
SLIGO- LEITRIM TD Eamon Scanlon has issued an apology in the wake of a Dáil question he tabled about Muslim.
The Ballymote based Deputy had asked the Minister for Justice for the number of Muslims who have applied for Irish citizenship in the past three years; the number of these who are legally living here for the past three years; and if she would make a statement on the matter
In response, Minister Frances Fitzgerald said a person applying for citizenship had no requirement to disclose their religion.
Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, provides that the Minister may, in her absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory conditions are fulfilled.
These conditions require that the person applying for citizenship must be of full age and good character.
They must also have been resident in Ireland for a certain number of years and have promised to faithfully observe the laws of the State.
Deputy Scanlon said he didn’t mean to cause any offence.
He said the question had been “misinterpreted” and apol- ogised for any offence caused.
Deputy Scanlon said: “I put down a parliamentary question in relation to the number of Muslims who have applied for Irish citizenship as a constituent was inquiring about this issue.
“It has come to my attention that my parliamentary question has been misinterpreted and I wish to apologise for any offence caused which I can genuinely assure you was completely and utterly unintended.
“There are people of many different ethnic beliefs and nationalities in Ireland and they all make a tremendous contribution to Irish society.”
Deputy Scanlon has been widely criticised in the wake of the question with many asking why it mattered what religion someone was when applying for citizenship.
Chair of the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Coun- cil, Sheikh Dr Umar Al- Qadri said: “Why would he ask these questions?
“Obviously, he was assuming that all Muslims are refugees and they’re all probably problematic, they’re not integrating and all that. That coming from a TD, which is very worrying.”
Dr Al- Qadri said it was “good” that Mr Scanlon had apologised but he believed there had been pressure on him to do so.
Dr Al- Qadri said that generally Ireland was a “very welcoming community” but was “not immune to bigotry”.
Deputy Scanlon was first elected as a TD in 2007 but lost his seat in 2011.
He was re- elected this year and is one of four TDs in the Sligo’Leitrim Constituency alongside FF colleague Deputy Marc MacSharry, Deputy Martin Kenny of SF and Deputy Tony McLoughlin, FG.