Vol. 536 No. 4
194 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if persons (details supplied) in County Kildare will be eligible for naturalisation or citizenship; if so, when their cases will be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14513/01]
Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended in 1986, provides that I may grant a certificate of naturalisation at my absolute discretion if I am satisfied that the applicant: is of full age; is of good character; has had a period of one year's continuous residence in the State immediately before the date of the application and, during the eight years immediately preceding that period, has had a total residence in the State amounting to four years; intends in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation; and has made, either before a Judge of the District Court in open court or in such manner as the Minister, for special reasons, allows, a declaration in the prescribed manner, of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State.
The persons referred to in the Deputy's question have been in the State since May 1997 and have been granted permission to reside here on the basis of having an Irish born child. Based on the information available in my Department, it would appear that the persons referred to will not be eligible to apply for a certificate of naturalisation until May 2002 at the earliest.
