Rugby star Bundee Aki says becoming Irish citizen is 'an ...
Ireland rugby star Bundee Aki has described becoming an Irish citizen as a “huge privilege” and an “honour”.
The 34-year-old was among 3,600 people who were naturalised on Monday at three ceremonies held in the Convention Centre in Dublin.
The Ireland and Connacht centre was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has been living here for the past 10 years.
Having signed for Connacht in 2014, he went on to make his international debut for Ireland in a 2017 game against South Africa. He starred in the Connacht team that won the Pro12 in 2016 and internationally, he has won the Six Nations three times — in 2018, 2023 and 2024.
Speaking about getting citizenship, he said it was “a huge privilege. It’s an honour as well to be able to call myself an Irish citizen now.”
He told the Irish Independent he “thoroughly enjoys the Irish people, the Irish culture. To be able to get my citizenship today, it’s an unbelievable privilege, so I’m delighted.”
The ceremonies were organised by the Department of Justice, which has held 17 ceremonies so far this year, with a total of 11,417 people attending and being conferred with Irish citizenship.
Justice Minister McEntee said: “Today, at the Convention Centre Dublin, thousands of people will undertake a life-changing journey and become an Irish citizen.
“Having had the privilege of attending many citizenship ceremonies, it fills me with joy being able to share this special day with so many people.
“I would like to congratulate all our new citizens and wholeheartedly thank them for their contribution and commitment to Irish society. I have no doubt that they will continue to contribute to making Ireland a more diverse and vibrant place to live.”
The Citizenship Division of the Department of Justice has introduced significant changes to speed up the application process, including the introduction of an online digital application, online payments, and evetting.
Over the last two years, it has gone from processing about 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications in 2023.
New Irish citizens undertake to faithfully observe the laws of the State and to respect its democratic values.
