Vol. 481 No. 5
115 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the administrative criteria laid down for applications for naturalisation based on Irish associations or investment under section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended by section 5 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1986; if all these criteria were complied with in each case; and, if not, the reason therefor. [16613/97]
116 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the names of all persons to whom certificates of naturalisation were issued subsequent to 1 July 1986, in return for investments made, or promised to be made, in this country; the amount of the investment in each case; whether in each case the actual investment was made; and the date of the bringing into operation of the scheme for such naturalisations. [16614/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together.
In December 1988 the Government decided that, in cases where substantial investment in the manufacturing or services sectors of the economy has been made by overseas investors, the Minister for Justice should interpret such investment as falling within the interpretation of Irish Associations set out in section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts, and that if the person had purchased a substantial residence, and had resided in Ireland for a period of 60 days in the preceding two years, naturalisation could be granted.
From 1988 to 1994, the original conditions applying to the scheme began to loosen; for example, some property and forestry developments were taken as qualifying and the 60 day residence requirement was not applied in all cases.
In 1994, the Government established an advisory group consisting of representatives of the Departments of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Enterprise and Employment and Forbairt to assess the investment proposals of individual applications and to make recommendations to the Minister for Justice on foot of that assessment as to whether the normal preconditions for naturalisation should be waived. The terms of reference of the advisery group are set out on the attached sheet.
As part of the review of this scheme, which I am conducting at the request of the Government, I have arranged for my Department to identify all of those naturalised under the provisions of the scheme. Identification of the files of the individuals concerned has just been completed and, as I have already said publicly, 143 naturalisations have taken place — 50 of spouses and minor children — and investment in the order of £90 million has been committed.
My Department will be examining each case in order to establish if the promised investment was made. Completion of this process will take some time.
With regard to the details of persons naturalised under the scheme, I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 132 of 9 October 1997.
