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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 1

Written Answers. - Ministerial Travel.

Gay Mitchell

Question:

128 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his intended foreign visits for the next 12 months. [22103/98]

A table of my intended foreign travel plans for the next 12 months follows for the information of the Deputy.

This is necessarily provisional as it is not possible, at this stage, to anticipate the circumstances which will require me to travel abroad over the year ahead. investment linked citizenship by naturalisation scheme which was administered by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform until the scheme was abolished by the Government in April 1998.

Proof of Irish citizenship is required for the issue of all Irish passports. In the case of naturalised citizens, including those granted citizenship under the investment-linked scheme, Certificates of Naturalisation issued by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, must be produced before passports are issued. The function of the Department of Foreign Affairs, through its Passport Office, once proof of citizenship is established, is to issue the passport.
The Passport Office is not provided with details of foreign nationals to whom certificates of naturalisation are issued and cannot therefore distinguish between certificates issued under the investment-linked scheme and those issued to other naturalised citizens. As it is not possible to identify passport holders solely on the basis of how citizenship was acquired the Passport Office is not in a position to provide the information requested.
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