Written answers

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Department of Justice and Equality

Residency Permits

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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375. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of reckonable stamp 4 years accredited in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; the extent to which these are adequate for naturalisation purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12727/15]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was granted temporary permission to remain in the State for one year in 2000 under the arrangements then in place for the non-EEA national parents of Irish born citizen children. The permission was renewed subsequently until 1 September, 2008, the expiry date on the passport of the person concerned. Following a review of their case by the relevant officials in the INIS, their permission was renewed in 2013 until 11 February, 2015. As their current permission to remain in the State has expired, it will be open to the person concerned to attend at their local Immigration Registration Office with a view to having their permission to remain renewed for a further period.

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received in the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) in August, 2005 and in 2009 the then Minister for Justice decided in his absolute discretion to refuse the application. The person concerned was informed of this and the reasons for it in a letter issued, via their solicitor on 31 March, 2009.

A second application for a certificate of naturalisation was received in September, 2014. On examination of the application submitted it was determined that the person in question did not meet the statutory residency requirements as set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. The person concerned was informed of this in a letter issued on 12 November, 2014.

It is open to any individual to lodge an application for citizenship if and when they are in a position to meet the prescribed statutory requirements. The on-line Naturalisation Residency Calculator can be used as a guide to whether an individual satisfies the naturalisation residency conditions and, if not, give an indication of how long they should wait before making an application.

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.

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