Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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80. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she can waive the requirement for a passport from a person's homeland (details supplied) in the context of determining eligibility for naturalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8761/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Persons making an application for a certificate of naturalisation are required to provide satisfactory evidence of their identity and nationality. This is usually in the form of a currently valid passport and may include other original supporting documents, such as a birth certificate and marriage certificate. In rare circumstances where an applicant cannot produce their passport or other supporting documents the applicant will be required to provide a full explanation. Such explanation should be supported by satisfactory evidence that they have attempted to obtain such documentation and correspondence from the relevant authorities responsible for the issuing of passports in their country, clearly stating the reasons the documentation cannot be provided. INIS will consider the reasons given and, if satisfied it is for reasons genuinely beyond the applicant's control, may suggest alternative means to the person to assist in establishing their identity and nationality.

In this particular case, correspondence issued to the person concerned on 27 January 2016 and reminders on 2 February 2016 and 29 February 2016, requesting her national passport or satisfactory explanation from the relevant authorities stating a reason why a passport is unobtainable. Upon receipt of the requested information, or in the event that the person does not respond, the case will be further processed and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and I know the Deputy will appreciate that 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.