Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will confine the higher €950 charge for naturalisation certificates only to persons whose application was lodged after the date when the increased charges were made. [3115/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Fees) Regulations, 2008, sets out the prescribed fees payable by applicants on the issue of a certificate of naturalisation since 1 August, 2008. The fees are as follows:

(a) where an application is made on behalf of a minor, a fee of €200.00

(b) where an application is made by a spouse of a naturalised Irish citizen, a fee of €950.00

(c) where an application is made by a widow or widower of an Irish citizen, a fee of €200.00

(d) in the case of all other applications, a fee of €950.00

(e) the fee payable under (a), (b), (c), or (d) shall be nil, if the application for the certificate concerned was made by or on behalf of a refugee or stateless person or by or on behalf of a programme refugee.

The increases in fees were in line with inflation for the period 1993 to 2008. While the fees are designed to reflect the effort and cost involved in processing the different categories of applicant, the certification fees do not recoup the full cost of processing in any category.

Because this is a certification fee, it is the date of issue rather than the date of application that must be taken into account. Certificates of naturalisation can only be issued on payment of the prescribed fee at the time of certification.