Can someone please advise on what documents are required to apply?
Examples are provided by INIS. Anything that can approve you live here. This can be bank statements, utility bills, government correspondence letters, company letters etc.
I understand 3 years proof of address and bank statements are a must. Which references are asked and do we have to provide GP details etc?
In my case, I did not submit any GP details - I did not go to any GPs and I was not asked for any GP letter.
Bank statements can be proof of address only if you have regular offline shopping on it. If you use your bank account only for direct debits and salary payments, it is not a valid proof of address. However, you still need to submit them because it is proof of salary and finance. I was asked to submit 3 months of bank statements for my main bank account (which only has salary and direct debits) for each year.
Also, regarding the 6 week absence rule, does it only apply for a year before application.
Yes. However, if you are absent for more than 6 weeks in any year, you need to deduct them from your residency days calculations.
Eg. If I applied on 28th March 2020, am I allowed to leave Ireland for a holiday any time this year? I wish to go in a 4 day holiday in August, will that affect the application or does it mean I am safer if I applied on 2nd April instead (adding 4 days).
You can travel abroad for 6 weeks in any year. You don't need to deduct anything. So you can apply on 28 March 2020.
Finally, Are old passports and original birth certificate requested or copies will work as I do not have my originals in Ireland.
You need to obtain the originals for both of them.
You MUST have your original old passports if it contains an immigration stamp from Ireland. If it doesn't, it should be fine.
Regarding birth certificates, you need submit a certified copy of your original birth certificate, and have it translated if it is not in English. In order to certify your copy by a solicitor or notary in Ireland and translate them by a certified translator, by law, you MUST show the original certificate to them.They are required to do basic checks to make sure that the copy is exactly the same as the original.