A bill that would restore the right of those born in Ireland to become Irish citizens is before the Dail this week.

The results of the 2004 citizenship referendum meant that children born here to non-national parents would no longer be automatically entitled to citizenship.

The law has come under scrutiny recently due to a number of cases of children who have lived in Ireland their whole life, being faced with deportation.

The bill is being put forward by the Solidarity Party and will be debated on Thursday.

Deputy Paul Murphy says the legislation is comparable to what is being proposed in the US.

He said: "Irish politicians will be going abroad to the US, we'll be campaigning against the removal of birthright citizenship in the US, we'll be campaigning rightly for the rights of the undocumented, but yet are they going to support...continuing to have such a negative policy regime here."