Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; if he will confirm the date on which the application was received; and the date by which it is expected to be processed. [8744/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I have been advised by my officials that an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was first received in the Citizenship section of my Department on 14 March 2007. However, as there was an error on the statutory declaration, the form was returned to the person in question on 6 April 2007 so that it could be amended.

I understand that the letter was delivered to the wrong address as a result of which the person in question was unable to return the amended form until September 2007. I wish to reassure both the Deputy and individual that processing of his application will not be delayed and that the application will be dealt with as if it had been received in March 2007.

Officials in the Citizenship section are currently processing applications received in mid 2005 and have approximately 10,500 applications on hand to be dealt with before that of the person concerned. These are generally dealt with in chronological order as this is deemed to be the fairest to all applicants. It is likely, therefore, that further processing of the application will commence in or around September 2009.

I will inform the Deputy and the person in question when I have reached a decision on the matter.