Vol. 527 No. 3
328 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the length of time a person (details supplied) in County Limerick, who is a Canadian citizen and has a missionary permit, has to live here before she can apply for Irish citizenship. [28308/00]
The statutory conditions to be fulfilled by an applicant for naturalisation are set out in section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended in 1986 and are that the applicant: is of full age; is of good character; has had a period of one year's continu ous residence in the State immediately before the date of the application and, during the eight years immediately preceding that period, has had a total residence in the State amounting to four years; intends in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation; and has made, either before a justice of the District Court in open court or in such manner as the Minister, for special reasons, allows, a declaration in the prescribed manner, of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State.
The citizenship division of my Department operates a telephone helpline, 01-6028202, which is open to callers on Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. An explanatory leaflet is available which outlines the three ways to obtain Irish citizenship. The person referred to by the Deputy may wish to telephone the helpline for further information in this regard.
