Phil Hogan
Question:11 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Justice the procedures involved in granting passports to foreign nationals who may be potential industrial investors in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Issue of Passports.
The law on naturalisation provides that the Minister for Justice may grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation, although the statutory conditions are not wholly satisfied, where an applicant has Irish associations. I am prepared to consider an application within that provision where the applicant has invested a substantial sum in the State in a viable business with considerable job-creating potential. In considering such applications, advice is sought from the appropriate Government Department or agency with responsibility for the area in which the investment is to take place.
Has the Minister received any representations from any other Government Minister recently in respect of a deal that might be struck on the issuing of passports to non-nationals who may be investors in this country?
That would appear to be going beyond the bounds of this question.
Can the Deputy give me a specific instance of a proposal having been put to my Department? I do not have any information to hand in respect of specific cases. It was suggested in the newspapers recently that, because my Department did not act in a particular way, a large number of jobs were lost by way of non-investment by a Taiwanese company. No application was received in my Department from that company.
I am glad the Minister clarified the position on that specific matter. I was merely seeking to establish general policy. Can she confirm that no recommendations whatsoever have been made by any Government Minister and can she clarify general Government policy on the issue of passports to foreign investors?
The Minister indicated that she would take on board representations from foreign investors who have invested a significant amount of money in this country or in the creation of employment. Can she be more specific in respect of Government policy on foreign investment, particularly to non-nationals and the issue of passports? Is it possible to do a deal, as it were, with a Government Department and overturn normal procedures in order to get investment into this country?
In regard to the exact criteria for the granting of citizenship in these cases, each application is considered on its merits. A general guideline would be that someone with Irish associations would make a substantial investment in the country of, say, £1 million. The bottom line in relation to any investment is that it must have potential for job creation.
For the benefit of Deputy Hogan and others I will refer to the background of naturalisation of foreign nationals on the basis of investment. The possibility of Hong King businessmen acquiring Irish passports was originally raised by the then Minister for Industry and Commerce, Deputy John Bruton, on 8 September 1983. The then Minister for Finance, Deputy Dukes, wrote to the Minister for Justice on 8 January 1986 concerning the possibilities of Hong Kong businessmen investing here and mentioned certain arrangements that could be made. Those were good judgments by both Ministers at the time——
Excellent.
——because they had the same priority as the present Government that we should do everything possible to assist job creation. If a foreign national is prepared to be associated with Ireland by making a substantial financial investment, purchasing a home and living here, he or she should be considered for naturalisation by my Department.
Will the Minister agree that the fact that these Hong Kong investors — who were prepared to come here when Deputies Bruton and Dukes were in Government — are not now prepared to come is a clear indication of lack of international confidence in the Government?
We would all wish to facilitate foreign nationals who wish to invest in Ireland. Do I understand the Minister to say there is a two tier system for naturalisation; if you can put money up front with a view to establishing a business here there is a fast track method of naturalisation whereas some unfortunate person who wishes to be reunited with his family may have to wait for years before the process of naturalisation is completed?
No, it is not the case that there is a two tier system or that there is a fast track for naturalisation. I am glad the Deputy agrees that all of us should facilitate people prepared to make a substantial financial investment by purchasing a home and spending time here in order to provide investment for companies in Ireland.
A substantial number of Members of this House have, in the past 14 months, made representations to me concerning various companies in their constituencies who have potential investors anxious to invest a substantial amount of money in a company which will either ensure the continuation of the employment or provide for more substantial employment. I am happy to accept representations from anybody in relation to job creation. It is not open to anyone to apply for naturalisation on a fast track basis. It is open to anyone to apply if they can prove Irish associations but they must make a convincing case. I am interested in what Deputies are saying because the normal representations I receive in the Department suggest that decisions of this nature are not made quickly enough.
That is right.
Deputy Gilmore will be delighted to know that the procedures are changed as a result of an interdepartmental committee I set up to examine the procedures in the former aliens division of the Department — now the emigration division. We want to ensure that that section becomes user friendly, that people are dealt with in a human way, and that we give every assistance to people with their application for naturalisation.
I am surprised the Minister for Justice is sensitive about this matter——
I am not sensitive.
——because I am very supportive of the Minister. I did not table the question for the purpose of causing embarrassment to the Minister because she has been very generous in her dealings with certificates of naturalisation and I compliment her. When the Minister for Finance made representations about the Taiwanese company I was surprised the Department of Justice did not accede to the request to do a deal. He made commitments to that company in return for foreign investment to be made here. Subsequently that factory went to Northern Ireland, under the jurisdiction of the British authorities, because they were prepared to do something for that company which this country failed to do.
I am not sensitive about this area and the Deputy need have no worries in that regard. When I saw the original report concerning this company in the newspapers I was very concerned that a decision by somebody in my Department might have led to that company taking their investment out of the country. Immediately I asked the officials in my Department for a full report. I discovered that no application was made to my Department and nobody approached my Department in that matter. I am happy to say my Department was not responsible for losing the investment by the Taiwanese.