Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2020
474. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications made for naturalisation that are still undecided and that have been in the system for more than five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44258/20]
View answerAt the end of November 2020, there were 484 applications on hand for 5 years or more. These cases are at various stages of processing and some involve cases where there has been no further engagement by the applicant with the Citizenship Division of the Immigration Service of my Department for some time. Citizenship Division continue to liaise with these applicants with a view to finalising their applications.
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 and applications can only be progressed when all of the requested documentation is received.
