Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when eligibility for citizenship will arise in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4112/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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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 conditions are fulfilled. These conditions are that the applicant must be of full age, 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.

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.

It is open to the person concerned to lodge an application if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements applicable at that time.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the current or expected residency and citizenship status in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4113/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, 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 Division of my Department in November, 2007.

The average processing time from application to decision is now at 23 months. The Citizenship Division is currently commencing further processing of applications received in mid 2007. More complicated cases can at times take more than the current average while an element of straight forward cases are now being dealt with in less than that time scale.

There is a limit to the reduction in the processing time that can be achieved as applications for naturalisation must be processed in a way which preserves the necessary checks and balances to ensure that it is not undervalued and is only given to persons who genuinely satisfy the necessary qualifying criteria.

I am informed that there is a discrepancy between the address the Deputy has provided and the address my Department holds on file. It is the responsibility of the applicant to keep the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) informed of any change of address in writing.

I am informed by the Immigration Division of my Department that the person in question has not made an application for Long Term Residency.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the current or expected residency and citizenship status in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4114/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that the person concerned was granted permission to remain in the State in March 2002 under the arrangements then in place for the parents of Irish citizen children. The permission granted is currently valid until 26 March, 2009.

An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in November 2007.

The average processing time from application to decision is now at 23 months. The Citizenship Division is currently commencing further processing of applications received in mid 2007. More complex cases can at times take more than the current average while an element of straight forward cases are now being dealt with in less than that time scale.

There is a limit to the reduction in the processing time that can be achieved as applications for naturalisation must be processed in a way which preserves the necessary checks and balances to ensure that it is not undervalued. This is to ensure that naturalisation is only given to persons who genuinely satisfy the necessary qualifying criteria.