Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 392: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a decision will be made in respect of an application (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if this application has been received by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17970/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department on 16 February 2006. The first element of the assessment process involves determining if the applicant meets the statutory residency requirement set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory conditions are fulfilled, including having had a period of one year's continuous residency in the State immediately before the date of the application and, during the eight years immediately preceding that period, have had a total residence in the State amounting to four years. In the context of naturalisation certain periods of residence in the State are excluded. These include periods of residence in respect of which an applicant does not have permission to remain in the State, periods granted for the purposes of study and periods granted for the purposes of seeking recognition as a refugee within the meaning of the Refugee Act, 1996.

According to information in her application, the individual concerned arrived into the State in April 2004 and has permission to remain in the State until 2010. Consequently, it appears that she will meet the residency requirement in April 2009. A letter is due to issue shortly informing her of the situation. If the person concerned decides to submit another application in April 2009, her application will be assessed against the statutory provisions in operation at that time. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the enforcement of Deportation Orders is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau.