Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2018
169. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if all documentation has been supplied as requested to assist consideration of an application for naturalisation in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7958/18]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that processing of the applications for a certificate of naturalisation from the persons referred to by the Deputy are ongoing and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. There is no further documentation requested at this time. Additional information may, if required, be requested from the applicants in due course.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour 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.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. While most cases are now generally processed within six months, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department 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 the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
