Priests will have to act as "immigration officers" when marrying foreign couples, under new legislation. They face up to 12 months in prison if the couple do not have the required "marriage cert" from the Justice Minister and proof of legal residency.
The clergymen will also face potential imprisonment if they do not supply the Justice Minister with details of couples who tried to get married without the correct documentation.
Fine Gael TD Denis Naughton said the proposals in the Immigration and Residence Bill would impose an unfair burden on priests.
"In a nutshell, priests are going to become immigration officers and it puts a huge onus on them to ensure that this documentation is genuine. Do all the priests in the country now have to get training so they can identify false documentation?"
Trust
He also said it would destroy the bond of trust that immigrants had in priests if they believed their details would be passed to the Justice Minister.
The new requirements are designed to reduce the number of couples getting married for reasons of immigration. The State has refused visas to more than 100 applicants believed to have entered into bogus marriages with Irish citizens in the last three years.
Under Section 123 on "Marriage of Foreign Nationals" in the bill, the state will require solemnisers (clergy or registry officers who officiate at marriages) who find that a foreign couple do not have the correct papers to "immediately inform the minister of that refusal and the reasons for it".
Mr Naughton, his party's immigration and integration spokesman, also highlighted the fact that celebrity couples who got married here, such as Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, would have to seek permission from Justice Minister Brian Lenihan to marry. The requirement will apply to all non-Irish citizens, he said.
"If you wanted to marry someone who was a UK citizen or American citizen, she will have to apply for permission three months in advance and the minister can refuse it."
He said he would meet Mr Lenihan next week to press for changes in the bill, due to be debated in the Dail this month.
The Department of Justice did not return an email seeking comment.
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