Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [18520/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy made an application for residency on 1 March 2010, on the basis of their de facto relationship with an Irish citizen. Residency in the State based on being the partner of an Irish citizen is generally granted to persons who (1) are legally resident in the State and (2) who have supplied sufficient documentary evidence that their relationship has been of at least two years duration.

As this person had resided and worked in the State since 2001 without having obtained the appropriate permission to do so as required under our immigration laws, permission to remain on that basis was refused.

However, following full consideration of this person's particular case it was decided to grant her stamp 3 permission to remain in the State and the person in question was informed of this by letter dated 8 March 2010. She was also advised of the need to obtain a work permit should she intend to take up employment in the State

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding an application for a certificate of naturalisation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18542/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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A valid 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 June 2008.

All valid applications are dealt with in chronological order as this is deemed to be the fairest to all applicants.The average processing time from application to decision is now at 26 months. More complicated cases can at times take more than the current average, while an element of straight forward cases can be dealt with in less than that timescale. Officials in the Citizenship Division inform me that processing of the application has commenced and the file will be submitted to me for a decision in due course.

The length of time taken to process each application should not be classified as a delay, as the length of time taken for any application to be decided is purely a function of the time taken to carry out necessary checks. 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.