Citizenship Applications.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2005

Thursday, 27 January 2005

Questions (169, 170, 171, 172)

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

168 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons who have made applications for naturalisation in the past ten years. [2249/05]

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

169 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons who have been granted citizenship in the past ten years under the naturalisation, post nuptial declaration schemes; and the main reasons for the refusals. [2250/05]

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

170 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there have been cases in which citizenship was withdrawn in the past ten years. [2251/05]

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

171 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the waiting period for applicants for naturalization; and the number of civil servants involved in processing the applications. [2252/05]

Written answers

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 171, inclusive, together.

The table below outlines the number of applications received, applications refused and certificates issued in the citizenship section of my Department in the period 1995 to 2004.

Year	Number of Applications naturalisation	Number of Certificates issued *	Number refused*	Number of Applications PNC	Number of Certificates issued*	Number refused*
2004	4,074	1,335	759	2,825	2,449	1
2003	3,580	1,664	179	2,491	2,272	0
2002	,3574	1,332	109	1,728	1,550	4
2001	1,431	1,012	8	1,502	1,419	6
2000	1,004	125	57	1,293	1,018	4
1999	739	416	79	1,242	1,022	4
1998	588	352	31	1,199	1,217	5
1997	650	294	68	1,032	1,011	10
1996	347	226	111	855	402	Not available**
1995	295	355	100	863	678	Not available**
Total	15,640	7,111	1,501	15,030	13,038

* Certificates issued or applications refused do not necessarily refer to applications received in the same year.

** Records were not computerised at that time and manual records do not reflect the number of post-nuptial declarations refused for those years.

While records are not maintained in such a way that would disclose the reasons why applications are refused, I can say that the main reasons for refusal of naturalisation applications are failure to meet residency and good character requirements and long-term dependency on state support. Insofar as post-nuptial citizenship is concerned, the reasons for refusal mainly relate to spouses not living together as husband and wife or the invalidity of the marriage on which the declaration was based.

I assume when the Deputy asks about cases where citizenship was withdrawn, he means instances where individuals have acquired Irish citizenship, and have had it revoked subsequently. No certificates of naturalisation have been revoked in the past ten years. The average processing time for an application for naturalisation is approximately 24 months at the present time. This is primarily due to significant increase in the volume of applications being received since 2002. There are currently 27 staff assigned to the citizenship section of my Department. The majority of these are involved in the processing of applications for naturalisation.