Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the average length of time it is taking to process an application for naturalisation within the Irish Nationalisation and Immigration Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3268/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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When I came into office in March 2011 one of my immediate priorities was to address the large backlog of citizenship applications for naturalisation pending a decision that had built up over several years. At that time there were approximately 22,000 applications awaiting decision, many of which had been waiting for 2-3 years or longer.

Over the past 22 months there has been a major improvement in the position, notwithstanding a significant increase in the volume of valid applications received which has increased from 12,500 in 2010 to 19,900 in 2012 – an increase of almost 60%. More than 43,000 decisions on naturalisation applications have been made since I came into office with some 25,000 certificates for naturalisation issued last year alone. It is my intention that we will continue to build on this success over the coming year an in this regard, nearly 6,000 valid applications have been decided to date this year.

Considerable resources continue to be deployed to process applications. In such a rapidly changing environment where the focus continues to be on processing as many applications as quickly as possible, the value of allocating resources to calculating average processing times that in any event are changing constantly, is greatly diminished.

The Deputy will also be aware that alongside the improvements in processing, in June 2011, I introduced formal citizenship ceremonies for the first time since the foundation of the State. The ceremonies, which are being met with universal approval, allow candidates for citizenship make their declaration of fidelity to the Irish nation and loyalty to the State and receive their certificate of naturalisation in a meaningful and dignified manner which befits the importance and solemnity of the occasion.