THE TAOISEACH HAS indicated that refugees who have children in Ireland will be able to get maternity benefit without it affecting their ability to become an Irish citizen.

His comments come amid reports that incoming immigration reforms will mean refugees who received social welfare within a certain time period will not be able to gain citizenship.

Speaking to reporters at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, Micheál Martin described the reforms as a “modest enough overhaul, but an important one”.

“It’s fair and it’s robust and it’s also aligning with what’s happening elsewhere.”

He said that while the government wants to take a “humanitarian approach”, a “tightening up” of asylum and citizenship processes is needed.

Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD indicates there won’t be a blanket ban on social welfare payments for people seeking Irish citizenship. He says it will apply to "particular" payments, not the likes of maternity benefit.

He was speaking at the G20 in Johannesburg pic.twitter.com/bStndXbvb2

— Eoghan Dalton (@EoghanDalton) November 23, 2025

Martin said the reforms have come before party leaders and the Cabinet sub-committee, and have been discussed in “relative detail”, but changes could be made as the legislation proceeds.

Asked whether maternity benefits would be included in the social welfare payments that could preclude someone from becoming a citizen, Martin said:

“I think we are looking at particular types of payments.”

Among the immigration policy changes, refugees will now have to be resident in the state for five years instead of three to apply for citizenship.

The five-year residency period would start only once the person is granted refugee status, no longer including time spent going through the international protection system before approval.

The average wait time for a decision on an asylum application was 18 months, as of March this year.

The proposed reforms will mean applicants who want to become citizens will have to prove they are self-sufficient. They must not have been in receipt of social protection payments in the two years before they apply for citizenship. They must have no more than four months of assistance in the previous five years. They must also have no debts owed to the state.

Anyone who has previously lived in Ireland without valid immigration permissions could have their citizenship application denied.

With reporting by Eoghan Dalton and Chrsitina Finn