Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1935

The register of nationals.

26.—(1) The Minister for External Affairs shall cause to be kept in every legation and every consulate a register to be called and known and in this Act referred to as the register of nationals.

(2) The name—

(a) of every person who is a citizen of Saorstát Eireann and is residing either temporarily or permanently in a country in which a register of nationals is kept, and

(b) of every person permanently resident in a country in which a register of nationals is kept whose right to to be deemed a natural-born citizen of Saorstát Eireann is under this Act conditional upon registration in the register of nationals or in the general register of nationals,

shall be registrable, in accordance with regulations made under this section, in the register of nationals kept in the legation (if any) or any consulate (if any) in the country in which he is so resident.

(3) From time to time, but not less than once in every year, there shall be transmitted, in accordance with regulations made under this section, from every legation and every consulate to the Minister for External Affairs a copy of every entry (if any) made in the register of nationals kept in such legation or consulate of which a copy was not previously so transmitted to the said Minister.

(4) Every document which purports to be a copy of an entry in a register of nationals and to be duly authenticated in accordance with regulations made under this section shall be admitted in evidence in every court of justice without proof of the seal or signature by which such document purports to be so authenticated or of the authority of the person by whom such seal was affixed or such signature was made and, until the contrary is proved, shall be deemed to be a true copy of such entry and be accepted as good and sufficient proof of the fact and terms of such entry.

(5) The Minister for External Affairs may by order make regulations in respect of all or any of the following matters, that is to say:—

(a) the form of the register of nationals and the officer by whom and the manner generally in which such register is to be kept;

(b) the persons by whom and the manner in which names may be registered in a register of nationals;

(c) the particulars to be entered in the register of nationals in respect of every name registered therein;

(d) the inspection of registers of nationals by members of the public;

(e) the furnishing to members of the public of copies of entries in registers of nationals and the authentication of such copies;

(f) the transmission in pursuance of this section of copies of entries in the register of nationals to the Minister for External Affairs;

(g) with the consent of the Minister for Finance, the fees (if any) to be charged for the registration of names in a register of nationals, for the inspection of entries in such register, and for copies of entries in such register

(6) As soon as may be after the entry in a register of nationals of the name of any person whose right to natural-born citizenship of Saorstát Eireann is under this Act conditional upon registration in such register or in the general register of nationals, the Minister for External Affairs shall publish in the Iris Oifigiúil notice of the fact of such entry and the name of the person to whom such entry relates and such other particulars (if any) as the said Minister may think proper.