The vote, held simultaneously with the local and European elections, was the only good news for the government in a weekend that saw Fianna Fail sustain heavy losses throughout the state.
Irish voters turned out in larger than expected numbers to lend their support to the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, paving the way for a raft of new immigration provisions.
Almost 80 percent voted to amend the Irish Constitution after a campaign in which some observers claimed the referendum was racist and would lead to an increase in racial tensions.
The government welcomed the result as an overwhelming endorsement of a sensible citizenship regime.
Until now, children born in Ireland were automatically entitled to Irish citizenship. The clause was enshrined in the Irish Constitution following the signing of the Good Friday agreement in the North. It was designed to ensure that Northern nationalists would be able to claim their Irish citizenship.
However, critics believed it was being exploited by asylum seekers who wished to stay in Ireland permanently. Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Progressive Democrats all called for a “Yes” vote, while the amendment was opposed by Sinn Fein, Labor and the Green Party.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said a bill would be presented before the Dail in three months. He said he would then move to regularize the status of the families of Irish-born children whose position is unclear following a supreme court ruling that found that the parents of Irish-born children had no rights to citizenship.
He attacked those who claimed the referendum to be racist.
“Those people who said it was a racist referendum now stand completely indicted by their own words,” he said. “I think an apology is now due from those people who opposed this. Many people felt this country was being exploited and they have made up their minds on the issue.”
However, concerns have been raised by some that the referendum will have damaged the Good Friday agreement.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said that the way the government handled the referendum would have a negative effect on the agreement. Nationalists fear that any unilateral change to the agreement by the Irish government will be seized on by Unionists who seek to excise sections of the accord which they are unhappy with.
“The SDLP accepts the clear verdict of the people in the citizenship referendum,” Durkan said. “We do, however, stand by our concerns about the way the government went about the referendum. We believe that it caused political damage to the agreement. Regardless of whether the people voted yes or no, that damage was done.
“The SDLP’s priority has been to protect the agreement and ensure that people in the North enjoy the exact same citizenship rights as people in the South.”