Irish PM Martin says Ireland not overrun by immigrants, backs citizenship and migration reforms Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin rejects claims Ireland is overrun by immigrants while outlining plans to tighten citizenship rules, speed up asylum processing and consider publishing crime statistics by nationality. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin has rejected claims that Ireland has been overrun by immigrants, saying nearly one in four residents is now foreign-born and that the country's demographic change has been driven largely by legal migration tied to economic success. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Martin said Ireland is not overrun in any shape or form. But he said immigration must be addressed robustly, firmly and fairly, especially for those seeking asylum. Martin acknowledged failures in Ireland's asylum system after a record surge in applications, saying it was too slow in recent years. He said the system has changed, with faster processing of applications and a quicker appeals process.Ireland Developing New Migration Strategy With Citizenship ChangesHis government is developing a new migration strategy. It includes proposals to increase the residency requirement for citizenship from five to eight years and to introduce language and economic self-sufficiency requirements. Immigration has become increasingly intertwined in Irish political debate, with concerns over housing, crime and rapidly changing demographics in a country that was far more homogeneous a generation ago. Illegal migration is the more potent issue, Martin said.He added that the asylum system was too slow and that speeding it up has been a priority for his government. The debate over migration and crime has intensified following high-profile cases. American citizen Jamey Carney was found dead at her home in Killarney, a town known as one of Ireland's best-known tourist destinations. Police have launched a murder investigation.The suspect had applied for asylum in Ireland but was rejected and was appealing the decision while remaining in the country. He fled Ireland for Turkey shortly after the killing, later traveling to Jordan, and Irish police are now seeking his extradition. Fox News Digital asked Martin whether the case exposed weaknesses in Ireland's immigration system and whether laws needed to be changed.Debate Intensifies Over Immigration And Crime StatisticsHe said the government is looking at tightening the laws and making sure that rejected applicants face fast consequences. Critics of Ireland's immigration policies argue that migrants are disproportionately responsible for crime. Opponents say such claims unfairly stigmatize the country's growing foreign-born population. The debate has been hard to settle because Irish national crime statistics do not routinely publish nationality breakdowns.That leaves limited public data to test competing claims. The lack of data has prompted calls for greater transparency from women's advocates and some Irish lawmakers, including proposals to publish crime statistics broken down by nationality. Martin said he has no issue with data because it can inform and sometimes correct a distorted picture. He said data is important.But he also said crime is not specific to any nationality, while acknowledging that horrific crimes have been committed, not all by illegal migrants. Housing has become another flashpoint as Ireland struggles to build enough homes for its growing population. Martin acknowledged that workers arriving legally add to housing demand, but said the answer is to increase supply.About 36,000 homes were built last year, up more than 20 percent from the previous year and the highest annual total since 2011, according to the government. The state's reliance on hotels and other properties to house asylum seekers has itself become a flashpoint. Ireland spent about 1.4 billion dollars on asylum accommodation and related services in 2025, while also buying properties outright, including the sprawling Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre for about 175 million dollars.Housing Crisis Deepens As Dublin Social Waiting Lists GrowPressure is particularly acute in Dublin. Figures released by the city council this month showed 42 percent of the 15,005 households on its social-housing waiting list were categorized as non-Irish. That has fueled anger online as Ireland's homeless population hit a record high last month. Figures provided to Fox News Digital showed nearly 3,200 applicants from outside the EU with refugee status, up 64 percent from the previous year.Asked whether Irish citizens should receive preferential treatment for social housing amid pressure on waiting lists, Martin backed the idea. He said the position is basically that its citizens get priority. The comments come as immigration remains a central issue in Irish politics, with protests over asylum seeker housing and concerns about crime and demographic change shaping public debate.Martin's proposals on citizenship, asylum processing and possible crime data reforms are expected to be part of a broader migration strategy in the coming months.