Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

209. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will indicate the position, notwithstanding his replies to previous Parliamentary Questions, in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Meath who was previously married to an Irish citizen but may now have entitlement under the Zambrano judgment and whose Irish-born child has been diagnosed with Down's syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32703/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am advised by the Repatriation Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that no application based on the principles of the Zambrano Judgment was received from the person concerned.

It will be open to the person concerned to make an application to the Repatriation Section of my Department. Details on the criteria to be met by persons lodging such applications are available from my Department's Website (www.justice.ie).

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy in March, 2011. The application is being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, such as good character and lawful residence, and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. As well as being a significant event in the life of its recipient, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation as provided for in law is also a major step for the State 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.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.