Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2020
372. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current or expected residency position in respect of a person (details supplied); when the person's original passport will be returned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3124/20]
View answerAn application for a certificate of naturalisation was received on behalf of the person concerned on 11 April 2019.
It should be noted that passports submitted by applicants in support of their application for a certificate of naturalisation are subject to examination and verification procedures. A possible issue was identified with the passport submitted by the person referred to by the Deputy and their legal representative has been informed of the position.
Once it is established whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation the application will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.
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. However, 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 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 except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
