James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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358. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on a naturalisation application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46298/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, 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. All applications are processed with a view to establishing whether the applicants meet the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, such as good character and lawful residence, and are submitted for to me decision as expeditiously as possible. In some instances that can be established relatively quickly and in other cases completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time. I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that processing of the application is ongoing and the case will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.

The Deputy may wish to note that 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 established specifically 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.