Ms Judy McAvoy:

The answer to that question is as broad as it is long, to be honest. There are questions on the form which ask an applicant to describe any connection that he or she has with Ireland. This might include membership of a group or something of that nature. When I meet an applicant, I ask if he or she is a member of a library, if he or she is registered to vote, if he or she has family here or if he or she has a letter from family saying that he or she used to holiday here. It can be absolutely anything. The same is true when it comes to showing future intention to remain. It is very broad. That is good and bad. It is great for appeals but, at the initial stage, it is very difficult to get a person to present all of that evidence. I do not like to use the term "wishy-washy", but it applies here to a certain degree. It is very hard to get concrete proof that someone has a strong connection to the country, other than the fact that he or she is Irish and has returned here.