Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 365: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality how a refugee who has been granted residency here but whose home documents are lost or destroyed in their home country can apply for naturalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29487/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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With reference to the further information provided by the Deputy, I am advised by the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that an application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person concerned in September 2011.

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. Persons lodging an application for a certificate of naturalisation are required to provide evidence of their identity. In rare circumstances where an applicant cannot obtain their birth certificate or other supporting documents for reasons genuinely beyond their control, alternative means of validating the identity of the person are put in place. This is individually assessed in each case.

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.