Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Oct 1995

Vol. 456 No. 5

Written Answers. - Citizenship Applications.

Seamus Brennan

Question:

103 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications received under the Passport for Investment Scheme since 1 January 1995; the names of the firms of solicitors acting on behalf of those applicants; the number of the applications made since 1 January that have been refused; the number of applications currently being processed by her Department; the names of the firms that received the investments in relation to those three certificates of naturalisation issued since the start of the year and as referred to in paragraph three of the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 302 of 20 September 1995; and the number of jobs created and maintained by the investment and the names of the persons that received the passports in each case. [14240/95]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

In the period 1 January 1995 to 30 September 1995, 28 non-nationals applied for naturalisation on foot of their proposed investments in the State. All of these applications are currently being processed by my Department in accordance with the terms of reference of the advisory group established for investment-based naturalisation applications. The three applications referred to in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 302 of 20 September 1995 were lodged in my Department prior to January 1995.

In relation to the information sought by the Deputy on these three cases, he will be aware that it has been the longstanding policy of successive Ministers for Justice, not to release details of that nature about naturalisation applications on the grounds of maintaining the privacy of all those involved. I am prepared to say, however, that I am satisfied that significant numbers of jobs were either created or maintained as a result of the investments made by the three persons in question. Their investments were in the timber processing and medical equipment research areas of industry.

It would be entirely inappropriate for me to disclose information about the legal representatives of applicants for naturalisation as this is a private matter concerning the parties involved.