Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 492: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the examination of applications for certificate of naturalisation only begins three years after they have been lodged in his Department; and if he will put in place a more efficient cost effective system for dealing with same. [35020/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The existing processing time for applications for certificates of naturalisation is approximately thirty months from the date the application is received until such time as the applicant is informed of the decision. This is primarily due to the significant increase in the volume of applications received in the last number of years. The Deputy will appreciate that the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is an honour and applications must be processed in a way which preserves the necessary checks and balances to ensure that it is not undervalued and is given only to persons who satisfy the necessary qualifying criteria.

The procedures employed to assess an applicant for naturalisation are as set out in summary form as follows. Upon receipt, an initial examination of each application is carried out to determine if the statutory application is completed fully. Incomplete application forms are returned to the applicant for amendment. Valid applications are then examined to determine if the applicant meets the statutory residency criteria set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act. Passports and other documentation are examined in detail and enquiries with the Garda National Immigration Bureau may also be necessary. Since this procedure was introduced on 1 April 2005, over 3,500 applicants who applied since that date have been found to be ineligible. All such applicants are informed of any shortfall in their residency and will be able to reapply when they have the required residency.

Further processing takes place at a later stage and involves assessing an applicant's financial status in respect of their ability to support themselves in the State. Enquiries with the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social and Family Affairs may be necessary in this regard. At the same time enquiries are also made with the Garda Síochána to clarify if the applicant can be deemed to be of good character. Depending on the complexity of any given case, these processes can take a lengthy time to complete. Once all enquiries are completed, the file is referred to me for a decision.

The above procedures have been developed and refined over a number of years and I am satisfied that they are necessary to maintain the integrity of the naturalisation process. Consequently, having regard to the resources available, which are kept under constant review, there is a limit to the reduction in the processing time that can be achieved. I have however instructed my officials to undertake a review of the various processes in order that these might be streamlined further where possible.