Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding an application for citizenship in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24325/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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A valid application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) in December, 2010. The application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.

The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process. 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 122: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when he expects a decision to issue in the matter of citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24331/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) in February, 2011. On examination of the application submitted it was returned to the person concerned on 17th February, 2011 for further attention. In order to be fair to all applicants, only valid applications can be considered.

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 123: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the nature of any conviction or prosecution or penalty arising therefrom in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which might affect their citizenship status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24332/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that, having checked their records, they have no record of an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy.

In the context of an application for a certificate of naturalisation, I make a decision in my absolute discretion based on the entirety of the information presented, which includes a report from An Garda Síochána. As each application is assessed on its individual circumstances, it is not appropriate for me to comment generally on the matters raised by the Deputy.