“I believe in citizenship. Citizenship entitles people to rights. In modern Ireland, these should include the right to food and water, to a home and a decent job with a fair wage, to health and education services and a cleaner, safer environment.”

So wrote Gerry Adams two years ago, in an article that stuck in my mind because it was so revealingly confused.

Few rights are conferred by citizenship and it is unlikely Adams believes they ought to be — Sinn Féin certainly does not, nor do most political parties.

Fundamental human rights, such as those in the European Convention, apply equally to everyone in a state’s territory, including illegal immigrants. The right to vote is a rare exception.

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Civic rights, such as the economic and social rights listed by Adams, have also become largely detached from citizenship in both Ireland and the UK. This has evolved through decades of anti-discrimination law and practice, much of it underpinned by human rights law. EU membership and free trade agreements........

© The Irish Times