Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 323: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the applications for naturalisation and long-term residency will be completed in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23323/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Valid applications for certificates of naturalisation from the persons referred to in the Deputy's Question were received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in April 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 further processing of both applications is ongoing and the files 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.

An application for Long Term Residency was received in my Department from the person in question on the 4th July 2008. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the person concerned has been granted Long Term Residency. A letter informing him of this issued on 1 March 2010. The second person in question currently has an application in the latter stages of processing and a decision will issue in due course. As soon as a decision is reached in this case, the person concerned will be notified.