Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 641: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people refused naturalisation in the previous two years based on the fact that they accessed social welfare. [32981/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Each application for a certificate of naturalisation is examined on its own merits and the Minister decides, at his discretion, whether to grant or refuse the application based on all the information provided. As a result, statistics are not compiled in such a manner as to provide data on the reasons for refusal of applications for certificates of naturalisation. However, I can advise the Deputy that the main reasons for refusal of naturalisation applications are failure to meet residency and/or good character requirements and/or a failure to be self-supporting.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 642: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether, in the context of a process as important as naturalisation, applicants should be made aware prior to applying that they can be refused based on having accessed social welfare in the three years prior to the application; and the steps he will take to make sure this information is more widely available. [32982/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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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. The granting of Irish Citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour and not an entitlement. Therefore, 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.

The 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. In accordance with the legislation I make decisions on naturalisation applications based on all of the information available to me. I have adopted a general policy that I will normally require an applicant for naturalisation, unless he/she is a refugee, programme refugee or Stateless person, to show that he/she has supported him or herself (and his or her family if appropriate) while residing in the State and, as far as can be determined, is in a position to continue that support into the future. I am, generally speaking, satisfied to accept that an applicant is self supporting if he or she has not availed of State support in the 3 year period prior to the date of application or subsequently has satisfied officials that they have supported themselves independently for that period.

The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service's website www.inis.gov.ie carries information relating to the main reasons why an application for a certificate of naturalisation might be refused. It also outlines how the financial status of an applicant is assessed in respect of their ability to support themselves in the State, and that enquiries with the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social and Family Affairs may be necessary in this regard.