Source: The Conversation – UK
Anti-immigrant sentiment in Ireland has increased alongside concerns about the cost of living, public services and migrant integration. Against this backdrop, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration is considering changes to the requirements for naturalisation. People applying for citizenship may be required to demonstrate language proficiency as part of the naturalisation process.
Under the proposed reforms, applicants will be required to demonstrate proficiency in English, Irish or Irish Sign Language. This could have consequences for the provision of classes teaching English for speakers of other languages (known as ESOL) in Ireland.
ESOL classes in Ireland have primarily supported integration, participation and access to employment. There were more than 36,900 non-national learners enrolled in 2024, and 4,572 ESOL courses delivered in the first 11 months of 2025.
If language skills become a condition of citizenship, the level of English required will need to be determined. There are also questions about who will provide the education and support needed to meet this requirement. This change has the potential to reshape the role and purpose of ESOL significantly. Any new requirement would need investment, enough teachers and better coordination to ensure people can access the language support they need.
An already stretched system
Introducing a citizenship language requirement would place further demands on an already stretched system. Demand for ESOL classes has grown alongside increasing migration. But concerns about how English language services are organised are not new.
Calls for a more coordinated national approach have been made since the early 2000s. More recently, both Ireland’s Economic and Social Research Institute and SOLAS, the state agency overseeing further education, have highlighted the need for greater consistency in ESOL provision. They have also highlighted the need for better coordination of funding, assessment and policy.
There are also issues with recruiting and retaining ESOL teachers. There are limited opportunities for professional development, as well as concerns about workload and burnout. Recent funding changes have added to the challenges. Although more people are enrolling in ESOL classes, dedicated funding has been reduced. In some areas, this has affected staffing and the availability of classes.
Citizenship testing could change the system
The proposed changes may also create opportunities. A citizenship requirement could prompt the development of a national ESOL framework. This could help address inconsistencies in provision and strengthen assessment and practitioner training.
However, these proposals also raise questions about migrant rights, social justice and the purpose of adult education. In Ireland, ESOL has traditionally helped migrants participate in and feel part of society. Linking language learning to citizenship risks repositioning it as a mechanism through which belonging is determined.
There is also a risk that ESOL becomes more focused on tests and exam preparation. This could narrow what learners gain from classes and reduce the flexible, learner-centred approaches that have been central to ESOL.
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For some learners, these requirements could create new barriers. People who have experienced displacement, interrupted education or trauma may find language tests particularly difficult. ESOL teachers may also face extra pressure if they are expected to prepare learners for citizenship tests.
The ESRI notes that citizenship language requirements raise questions about what level of English applicants should be expected to have. While English skills can support employment and participation in society, there is limited evidence that citizenship language tests themselves improve integration.
Can Ireland learn from the UK?
Research on immigration and citizenship in Western Europe suggests that language requirements may be shaped by political concerns as well as efforts to support integration. The UK shows how citizenship requirements can influence ESOL provision. UK research suggests it is important to consider the resources needed to support learners. Since language testing became part of the citizenship process, research has also raised concerns that language tests can become barriers to citizenship rather than tools for inclusion.
In Ireland, a coalition of migrant-rights and civil society organisations has argued that the proposed citizenship changes lack a strong evidence base and could make citizenship harder to access. Ireland also differs from the UK in important ways. In a wider European context that values multilingualism, policymakers will need to consider how citizenship language rules fit with Ireland’s goals for a multilingual, inclusive society.
A key question is whether Ireland has the resources to support a citizenship language requirement fairly. If language testing becomes a condition of citizenship, it will change ESOL provision in further education and training. Any new requirement should therefore come with sustained investment, fair access to classes, support for teachers and a national ESOL strategy.
Without these foundations, a policy intended to support integration risks creating new barriers to belonging. Before considering language testing, policymakers should first examine the availability, accessibility and capacity of existing ESOL provision. They should also consider whether the infrastructure is in place to deliver any testing system effectively. Strengthening ESOL provision may do more to support inclusion than making language testing a condition of citizenship.
Chelsea Whittaker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Original source: https://analysis1.mil-osi.com/2026/10/19/ireland-proposes-language-testing-for-citizenship-more-demands-on-already-stretched-english-teaching/