Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

There are 16,853 applications for naturalisation with the citizenship division of my Department that are still awaiting a decision. This is primarily due to the significant increase in the volume of applications received in the past number of years. In 2002, there were 3,500 applications, whereas in 2008 the number of such applications was 10,885. This upward trend seems set to continue and it is anticipated that applications for naturalisation will increase to 14,000 this year.

Following the decentralisation of the citizenship division to Tipperary town, substantially increased resources have been made available to it to reduce backlogs and provide a better quality service to all applicants. This investment has also had a positive impact on processing times. The average processing time from application to decision for the generality of valid applications for certificates of naturalisation is 22 months, down from 30 months. It is expected that this will progressively improve over the coming year to an average timeframe of 18 months, which I regard as a reasonable target. In fact, the division is currently commencing further processing of applications received in mid-2007.

It would be useful for me to set out for the House the procedures employed to assess applications for naturalisation. Upon receipt, an initial examination of each application is carried out to determine that the application form is completed fully and correctly and that all requested supporting documentation has been submitted. Passports and other documentation are then examined in detail and inquiries with the Garda National Immigration Bureau also are necessary to determine if the applicant meets the statutory residency criteria as set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. A significant number of applications are initially found to be invalid for a variety of reasons and these are now being dealt with and returned to the applicant within a week.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Further processing takes place at a later stage and involves assessing an applicant's financial status in respect of his or her ability to support himself or herself in the State. Inquiries with the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social and Family Affairs may be necessary in this regard. Investigations are also undertaken to determine if the applicant can be considered to be of good character. Depending on the complexity of any given case, these processes can take a lengthy time to complete. Once all inquiries are completed, the file is referred to me for a decision.

The Deputy will appreciate that a certificate of naturalisation is an exceptional and important document that facilitates a non-national becoming a citizen of Ireland. Therefore, there is a limit to the reduction in the processing time that can be achieved as applications for naturalisation must be processed in a way which preserves the necessary checks and balances to ensure that the status of citizenship is not undervalued and is only given to persons who genuinely satisfy the necessary qualifying criteria. The procedures involved have been developed and refined over a number of years and I am satisfied that they are necessary to maintain the integrity of the naturalisation process.

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