Vol. 465 No. 4
72 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Justice the number of visa and naturalisation applications received by her Department in 1995; the number of applications granted; the proposals, if any, she has for bringing forward the proposed legislative package on non-nationals and, in particular, injecting increased transparency into the system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9805/96]
A total of 295 applications for naturalisation were received in my Department in 1995 and 355 certificates of naturalisation were issued in 1995 — this higher figure is accounted for by the fact that no valid comparisons can be made between applications received and certificates issued in any given year. For example, in 1995 significant inroads were made into a backlog of applications which had accumulated over the previous years and thence a comparatively larger number of cases were finalised during the year.
A total of 242 declarations of post nuptial citizenship were also lodged in my Department in 1995 and 133 post nuptial declarations were accepted during the year. Valid comparisons cannot be made between these figures over a given year.
In addition to these cases, a total of 415 declarations of post nuptial citizenship were accepted in Irish embassies throughout the world in 1995.
As regards visas, the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is the visa-issuing authority of the State, has not yet finalised the figures for 1995. However, it is estimated that the number of visa applications received was in the region of 30,000. This compares with 23,545 applications in 1994, of which over 21,000, or 95 per cent, were granted. The indications for the figures for 1995 are that the number of applications granted was also in the region of 95 per cent of all applications.
In regard to the question of amending the legislation governing non-nationals generally, I would refer the Deputy to my answer to Question No. 84 of 2 April 1996.
