The person in question applied for permission to remain in the State to operate a business in May 2000. In June 2000 my Department requested a number of documents from his solicitor, including a police certificate of no criminal record from any country, other than Ireland, where he had resided for more than six months. This is a standard requirement of my Department's business permission scheme and is set out in the information leaflet on the subject, which had earlier been provided to the applicant's solicitor. This certificate was supplied to my Department in September 2001 and the application is now being finalised.