Vol. 547 No. 1
996 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if and when a person (details supplied) in County Kildare can obtain citizenship or naturalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2200/02]
Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended in 1986, provides that I may grant a certificate of naturalisation at my absolute discretion if I am satisfied that the applicant: (a) is of full age; (b) is of good character; (c) has had a period of one year's continuous 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; (d) intends in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation; and (e) 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. Section 16 of the Act also provides that I can waive any or all of the statutory requirements set out above in certain circumstances, including where the naturalised citizen is applying on behalf of his-her minor child.
The person referred to in the Deputy's question submitted an application for naturalisation in November 2000. This application was returned as he was not of full age at that time or was not the minor child of a naturalised Irish citizen. It now appears from the information submitted by the Deputy that, while he now meets the age requirement, the person in question falls just short of meeting the residency criteria set out in subsection (c) above.
