Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a decision will be made on the application by a person (details supplied) in County Carlow for residency here on the basis of being married to an Irish citizen. [19564/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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An application for residence in the State on the basis of marriage to an Irish national was received from the person in question in May 2007. An acknowledgement of receipt of the application was issued on 6 June 2007.

Applications of this kind, in fairness to all other such applicants, are dealt with in strict chronological order and currently take approximately twelve months to process. It should be noted that marriage to an Irish national does not confer an automatic right of residence in the State.

It should be further noted that a person who is awaiting a decision on a residency application based on marriage to an Irish national is free to leave the State at any time. As a visa required national the person in question must be in possession of a valid Irish re-entry visa to allow him return to the State.