Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has stated that "citizinship is a privilege not a right" ahead of the introduction of rules for people seeking Irish citizenship.
Mr O'Callaghan is to bring forward plans to Cabinet this week, including a language test in English or Irish, which Taoiseach Micheál Martin had earlier said would bring Ireland in line with other European countries.
This rules are to bring a complete overhaul to Ireland's naturalisation system, including a stipulation that people looking for citizenship would be required to be a resident in the country for at least eight years, an increase on the current five.
Those seeking citizenship are also required to undertake a language test and prove that they are also self sufficient from an economic perspect.
Speaking to RTÉ television, Jim O'Callaghan said that these proposals are being implemented to retain the support of the "common sense reasonable people" when it comes to migration and citizenship.
He added that the number of immigrants who have been granted Irish citizenship has also increased hugely over the last few years.
He said: "25,000 new citizens given citizenship last year is a significant number".
Calling the proposals "reasonable", he added it is not "unreasonable to align ourselves" with other EU member states.
Elsewhere, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the Government will discuss these proposals, as they seek to strike a "balance" when it comes to granting Irish citizenship.
"On the citizenship proposals, this is bringing us more in line with other European Union member states", he said while speaking Fianna Fáil's think in at Tullamore, Co Offaly.
He said that Cabinet would discuss these proposals "and take them forward", while stating that there needs to be a "balance between independence, self-reliance, as opposed to total dependency".
The Taoiseach also said that the Coalition Government have made a "significant change" on migration with the implementation of the EU migration pact.
"I think this Government has made a significant and decisive change", he said. "We have a firmer and more robust migration system now, and numbers of those seeking asylum is reducing, and has reduced over the last 12 months".
"And also, in terms of returns, all of that is happening more efficiently and effectively," he added.
"The European Union Asylum Pact is working, and we've been well prepared, and the Minister for Justice is well prepared in terms of having the capacity to implement the pact. And the costs of accommodation in respect of asylum are also coming down very significantly". (All quotes according to RTÉ).
