Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when an application for naturalisation for a person (details supplied) in County Dublin will be processed; the plans he has to speed up the process in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7287/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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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 January 2008. Officials in the Citizenship Section inform me that the application has not been examined in detail. Examination of the residency requirement will take place in the near future and the applicant will be contacted at that time informing him when his application will be further examined or of any shortfall in his residency.

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 involved in the naturalisation process 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, recently allocated additional resources to the Citizenship section of my Department and also instructed my officials to undertake a review of the various processes in order that these might be streamlined further where possible.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 196: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding an application for naturalisation on humanitarian grounds for a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon. [7315/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned arrived in the State on 23 December 2002 and applied for asylum. Her application was refused following consideration of her case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.

Subsequently, in accordance with Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was informed, by letter dated 30 April 2004, that the Minister proposed to make a deportation order in respect of her. She was given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of a deportation order or of making representations to the Minister setting out the reasons why she should be allowed to remain temporarily in the State. Representations have been received on behalf of the person concerned and will be fully considered before the file is passed to me for decision.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the application for naturalisation for persons (details supplied) in County Wexford was not accepted; if a new application can be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7316/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory residency conditions are fulfilled. These conditions are that the applicant must have had a period of one year's continuous residency in the State immediately before the date of application and, during the eight years immediately preceding that period, have had a total residence in the State amounting to four years. In the context of naturalisation, certain periods of residence in the State are excluded. These include:

periods of residence in respect of which an applicant does not have permission to remain in the State

periods granted for the purposes of study

periods granted for the purposes of seeking recognition as a refugee within the meaning of the Refugee Act, 1996

Applications for a certificates of naturalisation from the persons referred to in the Deputy's Question were received in the Citizenship section of my Department in May 2006. On examination of the applications it was determined that the applicants did not meet the above mentioned residency requirements. Letters informing them of this were issued on 31 August 2006. It is open to the persons concerned to lodge new applications if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements applicable at that time.