The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of a certificate of naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the system.
It is open to any individual to lodge an application for a certificate of naturalisation if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements prescribed in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act. Detailed information on Irish citizenship and naturalisation is available on the INIS website at www.inis.gov.ie. The website contains the current version of the application by a person of full age for naturalisation as an Irish citizen and an on-line naturalisation residency calculator which individuals may find of assistance in establishing if the residency requirements are met. All questions on the application form are required to be completed by the applicant. It is open to applicants to provide additional information or clarification in relation to any of their responses should they wish. The question on the application form referred to by the Deputy is aimed at establishing whether the actual period of residence satisfies the requirements under the Act. A reasonable and generous period of 6 weeks is allowed to provide for absences for normal holidays and other short absences such as for a family bereavement.
Where an applicant is found to be non-resident for substantial periods of time then those periods will not be reckonable for the purposes of satisfying the residency conditions for naturalisation stipulated in the Act. This is of particular importance with regard to the requirement to have 1 year’s continuous residence in the State immediately prior to the date of application, and may also mean the requirement of total residence is not met. The guidance notes attached to the application form inform applicants that arrangements for assessment of residence are on the basis that the person is physically resident for the required period of time and that where there are significant absences from the State the application may be refused.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
