Salmond: SNP favours Irish-style citizenship after independence

Thursday 17 January 2013

An independent Scotland could have a citizenship model similar to Ireland which gives passports to the great-grandchildren of Irish citizens in some cases.

Alex Salmond said he wants descendants of the Scottish diaspora to have "the maximum entitlement to citizenship", similar to the citizenship model in Ireland.

Anyone who has an Irish grandparent is entitled to become an Irish citizen, and the entitlement can even extend to great-grandchildren in some cases.

Mr Salmond made the comments to New Zealand television channel TVNZ, which asked if Kiwis of Scottish descent would be entitled to a Scottish passport. "I think like Ireland, Scotland would want to use its global reach in the most effective way and make that sort of inclusive statement," he said. "I think it is reasonable to say that our attitude to that is more like the Irish model than the UK model. "Scotland is a population of 5.2 million people. We have a reach internationally across the world. We want the maximum entitlement to citizenship and the Irish model is one we have admired. "Of course, it has also been instrumental in some of the beneficial effects in terms of the Irish economy, so I think, like Ireland, Scotland would like to use its global reach in the most effective way and make that sort of inclusive statement." Mr Salmond confirmed that an Irish style citizenship model was the one preferred by the SNP, but said Scotland would have to first vote for independence and then vote for the SNP to become the first elected government of an independent Scotland. "The SNP, we have got our own ideas on this," he said. "I am only cautious, because I do want to make the point that the first government of an independent Scotland will be chosen by the people of Scotland. "We make no presumption that the SNP will be that government but we will be contesting the election... "I have to make it clear that all voices of other parties, all parties, and the people will be part of that constitutional framework and provision."

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Salmond: SNP favours Irish-style citizenship after independence

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