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Citizenship Applications.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2004

Tuesday, 2 November 2004

Questions (330, 331)

Willie Penrose

Question:

403 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if an application by persons (details supplied) in County Westmeath for naturalisation will be expedited; if it will be examined before 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26772/04]

View answer

Written answers

Applications for certificates of naturalisation from the persons referred to by the Deputy were received in the citizenship section of my Department on 7 July, 2004. The average processing time for such applications is 24 months. Due to this lengthy processing time, applications are usually dealt with in chronological order unless there are exceptional circumstances in a particular case for finalising it earlier. I will give consideration to the matters raised by the Deputy and will communicate with him directly in the near future.

Willie Penrose

Question:

404 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in regard to an application for permanent residence by persons (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26773/04]

View answer

I assume that the Deputy is referring to applications for citizenship submitted by the two persons, both Romanians, referred to in this question. The first person referred to was granted temporary leave to remain in the State on 26 August 1999. This permission has now been extended until 15 September 2006. On 30 July 2001 he applied for a certificate of naturalisation in accordance with the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 and was refused on 16 August 2002 as he did not satisfy the relevant criteria. It is open to him to reapply when those criteria are satisfied.

A deportation order was signed in respect of the second person referred to on 30 November 2001, following consideration of her case file under section 3(6) of the Immigration Act 1999 and section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996. A notification of the deportation order issued to her last known address on 7 December 2001 requiring her to present herself to the Garda national immigration bureau on 14 December 2001. The person failed to attend and was deemed to have evaded deportation.

On 11 July 2002 the second person wrote seeking permission to remain in the State on the basis that she had married the first person concerned on 28 March 2002. As a matter of general policy and practice, such an application will not receive consideration while the deportation order signed in respect of her remains outstanding. An application has been made to revoke the order made in this case. This is receiving attention in my Department at present and a decision will be communicated to her in due course.

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