Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 209: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the criteria for applying and qualifying for Irish citizenship; if there are plans to reduce the fees that apply to applicants who apply for Irish citizenship as spouses of Irish-born citizens compared to the fee which applies for spouses of naturalised Irish citizens under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Fees) Regulations 1993; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23891/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Since the Deputy has not provided details of a particular case, I can only set out the position generally.

The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory conditions are fulfilled. These conditions are that the applicant must:

be of full age, or by way of exception, be a minor born in the State

be of good character

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

intend in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation

have made, either before a Judge of the District Court in open court or in such a manner as the Minister, for special reasons allows, a declaration in the prescribed manner, of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State.

The Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Fees) Regulations, 1993, as amended in 1996, sets out the fees payable by various categories of persons who obtain Irish citizenship. The standard fee for naturalisation is €634.87. Exceptions are made in certain cases including the spouse of a naturalised Irish citizen who pays €126.97.

The fees were last reviewed in 1993. My officials are due to carry out a review of fees pertaining to citizenship applications in the future. It is planned that the existing anomaly that the Deputy has highlighted will be addressed in the context of that review.