Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2013
265. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding a citizenship application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork which was submitted in January 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43269/13]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that a valid application for a certificate of naturalisation has been received from the person referred to by the Deputy. I considered the application in February, 2012 and decided to defer making a final decision in this case for 12 months. The person concerned was notified of this decision and the reason for it in a letter issued on 20 February, 2012.
Further investigations are ongoing in this case and it will be resubmitted to me for decision in due course. The Deputy will appreciate that the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation as provided for in law is a major step for the State which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
The Deputy may wish to note that 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 established specifically 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.
