Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the position regarding the determination of eligibility of citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37050/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Applications for certificates of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question were received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in April 2008 and September 2010.

Officials in the Citizenship Division inform me that on examination of the first application submitted it was determined that the person concerned did not meet the residency requirements as set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. The person in question was informed of this in a letter issued to him on 15 August, 2008. In order to be fair to all applicants only valid applications for certificates of naturalisation can be considered.

On examination of the second application submitted it was determined that the person concerned did not fulfil all of the statutory conditions, consequently, the Citizenship Division of my Department have deemed that application ineligible. The person in question was informed of this decision in a letter issued to him via his legal representatives on 23 September, 2010.

It is open to him to lodge a new application for a certificate of naturalisation with the Citizenship Division of my Department if and when he is in a position to meet the statutory requirements.

I should remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual Immigration cases may be made direct to INIS by Email using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. The service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek this information through the more administratively expensive Parliamentary Questions process.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the way a person (details supplied) in County Kildare can proceed with their application for naturalisation in view of the fact that they have been requested to return to their homeland to obtain original birth certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37051/10]

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 December 2009. Officials in the Citizenship Division inform me that the person concerned was requested to provide a copy of his birth certificate in a letter issued to him on 15 September, 2010.

If an applicant for a certificate of naturalisation does not have their birth certificate, then they should obtain it, so that the state can have equivalent proofs of the identity of naturalised citizens as all other citizens. In rare circumstances where an applicant cannot obtain their birth certificate for reasons genuinely beyond their control, the applicant should provide the Citizenship Division with reasons and supporting evidence. The Citizenship Division will assess those reasons and if satisfied that they provide a genuine impediment, alternative means of validating the true identity of the person will be put in place. I should remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual Immigration cases may be made direct to INIS by Email using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. The service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek this information through the more administratively expensive Parliamentary Questions process.