Vol. 566 No. 5
122 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reasons for the delay in processing an application for naturalisation for a person (details supplied); if, in view of the straightforward nature of this case, an early response will be expedited; if it is unusual for a case lodged in August 2002 to be still pending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13328/03]
An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy was received in my Department in August 2002.
The average processing time of applications for naturalisation is approximately 15 months at present. Consequently, it is likely that the application of the person concerned will be finalised towards the end of this year. As soon as I have reached a decision on the matter, I will inform both the applicant and the Deputy of the outcome.
