Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept that. From my dealings in my constituency on naturalisation applications, I am aware that people generally know what is required. It is not rocket science. They need an application and they need the supporting documents including passports and documentation on their legal stay while in Ireland.

The issue of marriages is a complex area. It is one of the reasons there are delays. As I stated to Deputy Naughten and others who have attended the Committee Stage debate on the immigration Bill, there is significant fraud with marriages of convenience in this country, whether we like it or not, and that is one of the reasons the authorities, particularly the Garda and the Department, must be extremely vigilant on the type of information being portrayed to ensure that genuine cases get through. We should stamp out the practice where people, in effect, marry out of convenience in order to claim Irish citizenship or residency, and we are working with our EU colleagues in that respect.

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