Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedure to be followed in order to facilitate regularisation of residency and valid application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31478/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned and her two children had their permission to remain in the State extended for a three year period, until 14 August 2013. This decision was conveyed to the person concerned and her son, who is a minor, by letter dated 4 August 2010. The daughter of the person concerned was also notified of leave to remain in a separate letter dated 4 August 2010. This communication advised the person concerned and her daughter of the conditions attaching to their permission to remain and of the requirement that they attend at their local Garda Registration Office to have the registration process completed. One of these conditions is that the persons concerned must each be in possession of a valid passport.

The person concerned and her son registered with their local Garda Registration office and had their leave to remained renewed up to 14 August 2013. The daughter of the person concerned did not produce a valid passport and therefore could not register and was asked to return with a valid passport in order to register. It appears that she has not completed the registration process to date and it is recommended that she should attend her local Garda Registration Office with a valid passport, without further delay so that the registration process can be completed.

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 April 2008. That Division wrote to the person concerned on 16 October, 2008 requesting she fully complete her application form and submit supporting documentation in order for her application to be processed further. In the absence of a response to a further letter dated 22 January, 2009 from the Citizenship Division the application has been deemed ineligible.

It is open to the person in question to lodge a new application for a certificate of naturalisation if and when she is in a position to meet the statutory requirements.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.