Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 June 2019
111. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason a person (details supplied) who was informed of being granted citizenship on 4 October 2017 and paid a fee of €1,000 has not been informed of a citizenship ceremony that the person can attend in order that the process can be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27013/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed. If further documentation is required it will be requested from the applicant in due course.
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. 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, which may be outside the direct control of INIS.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department 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 the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
