Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 May 2017
110. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current residency status and eligibility for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that an application for naturalisation was made in July 2015; the progress to date in respect of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21693/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my answer to his Parliamentary Question No. 47 of 19 January 2017. The position remains as stated. I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is under consideration and has not yet reached a conclusion.
The records show that the person's permission to reside expired on 10 March 2017. All non-EEA nationals are required to keep their permission to remain in the State up to date at all times and failure to do so may adversely affect an application for a certificate of naturalisation. It is open to the individual concerned to apply to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department to have his permission renewed.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through 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 process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. While most cases are now generally processed within six months, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
The Deputy may wish to note that 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 established specifically 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.
