Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 377: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the position regarding an application for residency and citizenship in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31323/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Persons who have been legally resident in the State for over five years on the basis of work permit/work authorisation/work visa conditions may apply to the Immigration Division of my Department for a five year residency extension.

An application for Long Term Residency from the first person referred to by the Deputy was received in October 2009. I understand that applications received in June 2009 are currently being dealt with and it is likely, therefore, that the application of the person referred to will be processed in the next few months. As soon as a decision is made on the case, the person concerned will be informed. The person concerned should ensure that his permission to remain in the State is kept up to date while she awaits a determination of her application.

A valid application for a certificate of naturalisation from the first person named in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in August 2009.

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.

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.

Officials inform me that there is no record of any application for residency or Citizenship on hand for the second named person.