Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the present or expected residency status in the case of persons (details supplied); if they are expected to be accepted for naturalisation in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12740/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The persons referred to in the Deputy's Question have been granted refugee status.

Applications for certificates of naturalisation from the persons referred to in the Deputy's question were received in the Citizenship section of my Department in May 2005. The files were forwarded to my predecessor in May 2007 and he decided to refuse the applications. Letters informing them of this were issued, via their solicitors, in May 2007. Further applications for certificates of naturalisation from the persons in question were received in August 2007. Officials in that section are currently processing applications received in August 2005 and have approximately 13,700 applications on hand to be dealt with before those of the persons concerned. These are generally dealt with in chronological order as this is deemed to be the fairest to all applicants. However, as the applicants are refugees and the Government has obligations under the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, every effort is made to ensure that such applications are dealt with as quickly as possible, having regard to the general volume of applications on hand. It is likely, therefore, that further processing of the applications will commence in the first half of 2009.

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