Seamus Brennan
Ceist:302 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Justice the passports awarded and investments made under the passports for investment scheme since 1 January 1995. [13228/95]
Written Answers. - Passports for Investment Scheme.
Certificates of naturalisation were issued to 11 persons in the period of 1 January 1995 to date on foot of their investments in the State.
Out of these 11 cases, 8 persons were from the group of 29 persons referred to in answer to Parliamentary Question No. 34 of 25 October 1994 who on advice of the then Attorney General had been advised during 1994 that their applications had been approved subject to certain conditions. These applications had been processed prior to the establishment of an Advisory Group operating within a Terms of Reference for the purpose of making recommendations to the Minister for Justice on investment-based naturalisation applications. The Attorney General (current) subsequently advised that the Minister for Justice was legally bound to approve these applications provided all the conditions attaching to them were met.
In the case of the remaining 3 persons who were issued with certificates of naturalisation so far this year, the Advisory Group referred to above recommended that each of the applications be approved on foot of their investments in the State. The conditions in the Terms of Reference have been fulfilled in each case.