John McGuinness
Question:440 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Waterford for naturalisation. [23863/01]
Written Answers. - Naturalisation Applications.
I am informed that there is no record in my Department of an application for a certificate of naturalisation having been received from the person referred to by the Deputy. The person referred to applied for asylum in the State in March 2000 and following an interview on 28 June 2001 his application was refused. Consequently, he does not fulfil the statutory conditions for naturalisation at this time or fall into one of the categories of applicants for whom I am empowered to waive some or all of these conditions.
John McGuinness
Question:441 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Carlow for naturalisation; and if he will expedite this application. [23864/01]
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue): I am informed that there is no record in my Department of an application for a certificate of naturalisation having been received from the person referred to by the Deputy. Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended in 1986, requires,inter alia, that an applicant “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”. Based on the information held in my Department about the applicant, it would appear that he will not be eligible to apply for a certificate of naturalisation until May 2003 at the earliest.
John McGuinness
Question:442 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Carlow for naturalisation. [23865/01]
The application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is in the final stages of the process and I expect to be in a position to advise both the applicant and the Deputy of my decision in the near future.
John McGuinness
Question:443 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will obtain a report on the case of a person (details supplied); the procedures adopted in the case; the reason this person was relocated; and if this person will be allowed to stay in the Kilkenny hostel. [23866/01]
In accordance with long-standing policy I do not propose to comment in detail on an individual case. I am advised, however, that the reception and integration agency of my Department, following consideration of all aspects of the case, decided to relocate the asylum seeker in question from the Ormonde Hostel in Kilkenny. The primary consideration of the agency in this regard was the safety and well being of all residents and staff at the accommodation centre. Two offers of alternative accommodation have been made by the agency to the person in question, notwithstanding the fact that, by his behaviour, he could be deemed to have rendered himself homeless. Neither of these offers has, to date, been taken up.