Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 September 2019
211. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the ongoing lengthy delays in a citizenship application by a person (details supplied) will be examined; when a decision will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38334/19]
View answerI am informed by the Immigration Service of my Department that the person referred to by the Deputy made an application for a certificate of naturalisation on 19 March 2019.
As the Deputy will appreciate the granting of Irish Citizenship through naturalisation confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to protect the integrity of the process. All applications are examined to determine if the applicant meets the statutory conditions for naturalisation as set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, such as good character and lawful residence.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. The nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases may take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks may take a considerable period of time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual Immigration cases may be made directly to the Immigration Service 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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service in cases where the response from the Immigration Service is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
