Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010
938 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 87 of 6 May 2010, the status of an application for naturalisation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare. [32369/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraA valid application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in June 2008. All valid applications are dealt with in chronological order as this is deemed to be the fairest to all applicants. The average processing time from application to decision is now at 26 months. More complicated cases can at times take more than the current average, while an element of straight forward cases can be dealt with in less than that timescale. Officials in the Citizenship Division inform me that processing of the application is ongoing and the file will be submitted to me for a decision in due course. The length of time taken to process each application should not be classified as a delay, as the length of time taken for any application to be decided is purely a function of the time taken to carry out necessary checks. There is a limit to the reduction in the processing time that can be achieved as applications for naturalisation must be processed in a way which preserves the necessary checks and balances to ensure that it is not undervalued and is only given to persons who genuinely satisfy the necessary qualifying criteria. I should remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual Immigration cases may be made direct to INIS by Email using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. The service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek this information through the more administratively expensive Parliamentary Questions process.
939 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of persons granted citizenship status, by Dáil constituency, since 2007. [32372/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Citizenship Division of my Department that statistics are not compiled in such a manner as to provide the information sought by the Deputy.
940 Deputy Alan Shatter asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the reason applications for citizenship take in excess of 24 months; the respective timeframes for such applications in other EU member states and to clarify the reasons for any disparity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32397/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe average processing time from application to decision is now at 26 months. More complicated cases can at times take more than the current average, while an element of straight forward cases can be dealt with in less than that timescale. The length of time taken to process each application should not be classified as a delay, as the length of time taken for any application to be decided is purely a function of the time taken to carry out necessary checks. There is a limit to the reduction in the processing time that can be achieved as applications for naturalisation must be processed in a way which preserves the necessary checks and balances to ensure that it is not undervalued and is only given to persons who genuinely satisfy the necessary qualifying criteria. I am assured by my Officials that all the procedures involved in processing an application are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are conducted as efficiently as possible.
The immigration policies adopted by a country have a significant influence on the naturalisation process as both systems must link seamlessly. Immigration and naturalisation policies and systems vary from country to country and are therefore not directly comparable. In any event, I have no information at my disposal which would enable such a comparison to be made. Statutory provisions for the acquisition of Irish citizenship are contained in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. A review of the current framework for the acquisition of Irish citizenship is underway in my Department and will consider a wide range of issues relating to the current statutory framework as well as other administrative arrangements in the granting of citizenship and I will be publishing a consultation document in this regard in due course.
