Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when two applications for naturalisation (details supplied) in County Mayo will be processed. [21575/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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In my response to Parliamentary Question No. 247 on 29 March 2006, I informed the Deputy that in the case of the two persons in question, they did not have the permission of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to reside in the State for the period June 2003 to December 2003 and consequently, did not have the necessary reckonable residency prior to the date of their applications.

I have noted from the Deputy's letter of 7 April 2006 that one of the persons experienced delays in having his passport renewed which in turn led to a delay in having a work permit issued to him. However, the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended, is quite specific as to how residency is reckoned for the purposes of naturalisation and does not provide for reasons such as those put forward for the couple not having permission to remain in the State for the period June to December 2003 to be taken into account.

I understand that the couple now meet the residency requirements and that application forms have recently been sent to them to enable them to make new applications under their existing reference numbers. If they submit the particular application forms that were sent to them they will not have to wait the full processing time again and it will be possible to finalise their applications in a matter of months.