Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 368: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in the application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2162/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I informed the Deputy in my responses to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 395 on 27 September 2006, 425 on 16 May 2006 and 189 on 2 February 2006 that it was likely that the application on behalf of the person concerned would be finalised in the early part of 2007. However, given the very large volume of applications on hand, I have been informed by officials in the Citizenship section of my Department that it is likely that the finalisation date will now be mid-2007.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 369: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in the application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2163/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The person referred to in the Deputy's question arrived in the State in August 2000 and applied for asylum. She was granted refugee status in May 2003 and applied for a certificate of naturalisation in June 2003.

Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that an applicant for naturalisation must have one year's period of continuous residence in the State before the date of the application and a total amounting to four year's residence in the State in the eight years preceding that period.

Section 16(g) of that Act provides that I may, in my absolute discretion, waive the statutory conditions in certain circumstances, including where the applicant is a person who is a refugee within the meaning of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. In considering applications under this provision, I am generally disposed to waive two years of the normal residency requirement, thereby requiring such applicants to have been resident in the State for three years at the time of application. The calculation of the three year period commences from the date the applicant arrived in the State to seek refugee status.

As there were no circumstances apparent in the application which would lead me to depart from the general policy outlined above, I decided to refuse the application based on the fact that the applicant was not in the State three years at the time of the application. The reason for my refusal was disclosed to the person in question in a letter dated 25 April 2005 informing her of my decision.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 370: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he expects conclusion of application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2164/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I informed the Deputy in my responses to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 392 on 27 September 2006, 385 on 6 December 2005, 366 on 12 October 2005 and 988 on 28 September 2005 that it was likely that the application on behalf of the person concerned would be finalised in or around the end of last year. In this regard it is expected that the application will be dealt with shortly.