Written answers
Thursday, 27 January 2005
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Citizenship Applications
5:00 pm
Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons who have made applications for naturalisation in the past ten years. [2249/05]
Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons who have been granted citizenship in the past ten years under the naturalisation, post nuptial declaration schemes; and the main reasons for the refusals. [2250/05]
Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there have been cases in which citizenship was withdrawn in the past ten years. [2251/05]
Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the waiting period for applicants for naturalization; and the number of civil servants involved in processing the applications. [2252/05]
Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 171, inclusive, together.
The table below outlines the number of applications received, applications refused and certificates issued in the citizenship section of my Department in the period 1995 to 2004.
| Year | Number of Applications naturalisation | Number of Certificates issued * | Number refused* | Number of Applications PNC | Number of Certificates issued* | Number refused* |
| 2004 | 4,074 | 1,335 | 759 | 2,825 | 2,449 | 1 |
| 2003 | 3,580 | 1,664 | 179 | 2,491 | 2,272 | 0 |
| 2002 | ,3574 | 1,332 | 109 | 1,728 | 1,550 | 4 |
| 2001 | 1,431 | 1,012 | 8 | 1,502 | 1,419 | 6 |
| 2000 | 1,004 | 125 | 57 | 1,293 | 1,018 | 4 |
| 1999 | 739 | 416 | 79 | 1,242 | 1,022 | 4 |
| 1998 | 588 | 352 | 31 | 1,199 | 1,217 | 5 |
| 1997 | 650 | 294 | 68 | 1,032 | 1,011 | 10 |
| 1996 | 347 | 226 | 111 | 855 | 402 | Not available** |
| 1995 | 295 | 355 | 100 | 863 | 678 | Not available** |
| Total | 15,640 | 7,111 | 1,501 | 15,030 | 13,038 | |
| * Certificates issued or applications refused do not necessarily refer to applications received in the same year. | ||||||
| ** Records were not computerised at that time and manual records do not reflect the number of post-nuptial declarations refused for those years. |
While records are not maintained in such a way that would disclose the reasons why applications are refused, I can say that the main reasons for refusal of naturalisation applications are failure to meet residency and good character requirements and long-term dependency on state support. Insofar as post-nuptial citizenship is concerned, the reasons for refusal mainly relate to spouses not living together as husband and wife or the invalidity of the marriage on which the declaration was based.
I assume when the Deputy asks about cases where citizenship was withdrawn, he means instances where individuals have acquired Irish citizenship, and have had it revoked subsequently. No certificates of naturalisation have been revoked in the past ten years. The average processing time for an application for naturalisation is approximately 24 months at the present time. This is primarily due to significant increase in the volume of applications being received since 2002. There are currently 27 staff assigned to the citizenship section of my Department. The majority of these are involved in the processing of applications for naturalisation.
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