Govt considering new immigrant identity cards

27/12/2005 - 09:06:55
The Government is considering the introduction of identity and residency cards for foreign nationals living in Ireland.

It is reported that this is among measures being discussed as part of the Immigration and Residence Bill, to be published next year.

The card would hold biometric information, such as fingerprints, and would be needed for access to public services.

A category of long-term residency is also being considered for those who have been living in Ireland for more than five years.

Almost 17,000 non-EU nationals have already been granted residency under a scheme introduced following the 2004 citizenship referendum, which ended the automatic right to citizenship for children born in Ireland.