Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of citizenship applications received each year for each of the past ten years; the number processed in each of those years; the average waiting time for applicants; and the countries which applicants are from originally. [14233/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The information is as follows.

Following the decentralisation of the Citizenship Division to Tipperary Town, substantially increased resources have been made available to it in order to reduce backlogs and provide a better quality service to all applicants. This has also had a positive impact on processing times. The average processing time from application to decision for the generality of valid applications for certificates of naturalisation is now at 23 months. The Citizenship Division is currently commencing further processing of applications received in mid 2007. Applications for certificates of naturalisation have been received from nationals of 181 countries.

The Deputy will appreciate that a certificate of naturalisation is an exceptional and important document that facilitates a non-national becoming a citizen of Ireland. Therefore, 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 the status of Citizenship is not undervalued and is only given to persons who genuinely satisfy the necessary qualifying criteria. The procedures involved 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.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the longest length of time an applicant for citizenship is currently waiting for their application to be dealt with; and the reason for the delays in the citizenship process. [14234/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Further processing of applications for naturalisation currently commences after 18 months on average. The average processing time from application to decision is now at 23 months. This is primarily due to the significant increase in the volume of applications received in the last number of years. In 1999 there were 739 applications whereas in 2008, the number of such applications was 10,885. An element of cases are now being dealt with in less than that time scale and more complicated cases can at times take more than the current average. In many cases outside the average timescale, delays can be due to the non-return of important information by the applicant themselves or can be due to outside agencies with which we liaise being required to conduct more intensive investigations to resolve the merits of an application.

In a very small number of cases this process can take significantly longer than the average timeframe.

The Deputy will appreciate that a certificate of naturalisation is an exceptional and important document that facilitates a non-national becoming a citizen of Ireland. Therefore, 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 the status of Citizenship is not undervalued and is only given to persons who genuinely satisfy the necessary qualifying criteria. The procedures involved 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.