Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 526: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will re-open the file of a person (details supplied) who applied for Irish citizenship three years ago as they did not receive the correspondence sent from his Department in February 2007 which led to their file being closed. [23851/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department in November 2003. On examination of this application, it was determined that on the date the application was made the person concerned did not satisfy the statutory residency requirement as set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. However, he subsequently did acquire the necessary residency by the time his application was reached for processing.

In this regard the Citizenship Section invited him to make a new application, in a letter that issued to the address held on file on 20 February 2006. The purpose of this letter was to ensure that the application would not lose his place in the processing queue. However, in the letter that issued it was made clear to the applicant that the completed application form and all supporting documents were to be submitted within to the Citizenship Section within 6 months.

Officials in the Citizenship Section inform me that the applicant did not reply to this correspondence and the file was therefore deemed closed. A further letter to this effect issued to the applicant on 20 September 2007 to the same address as all previous correspondence. It is open to the individual in question to lodge a new application if and when he is in a position to meet the statutory residency requirements applicable at that time.