Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2013
377. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedures to be followed in order to make an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28922/13]
View answerSection 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory conditions are fulfilled. The conditions are that the applicant must: be of full age; be of good character; have had a period of one year's continuous residency in the State immediately before the date of application and, during the eight years immediately preceding that period, have had a total residence in the State amounting to four years; intend in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation; and have, before a judge of the District Court in open court, in a citizenship ceremony or in such manner as the Minister, for special reasons, allows (i) made a declaration, in the prescribed manner, of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State, and (ii) undertaken to faithfully observe the laws of the State and to respect its democratic values.
Section 16A(1) of the same Act also states that for the purposes of calculating the period of residence in relation to an application for naturalisation, only those periods during which the applicant has the permission of the Minister to reside in the State - other than for the purposes of claiming asylum or engaging in a course of education or study - are reckonable.
It is open to any individual to lodge an application for citizenship if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements as prescribed in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended. The documentation that must be enclosed with the application is specified in the guidance notes that accompany the application form. Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
