Written answers

Tuesday, 6 February 2018

Department of Justice and Equality

Immigration Policy

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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98. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if persons applying for naturalisation that are not decided upon within the six-month guideline will be provided with a detailed explanation as to the reasons for the delay including the provision to the person of additional information required to process the application in a timely manner. [5694/18]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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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 it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.  All applications are examined to determine if the applicant meets the statutory conditions for naturalisation set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, such as good character and lawful residence.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. While most straightforward cases are generally processed within six months, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases may take longer than others to process.  In some instances, completing the necessary checks may take a considerable period of time.

Cases where delays in processing can arise can often be due to further documentation being required from the applicant, or payment of the required certificate fee is awaited, or the applicant has not been engaging with the office.  In some instances delays can arise at the final stage of the naturalisation process, for example where additional information comes to light which requires to be considered.  In other instances the applicant themselves may request that a hold be put on their application, for example where they may have returned to their country of origin for a prolonged period, to facilitate them in making arrangements to return to reside in the State, or where they have difficulty in obtaining satisfactory evidence of their identity or nationality.

Due to the volume of applications received, it is not possible to communicate with each applicant with regard to each stage of the process but where additional information is required to support the application, the applicant is written to and the requirements are clearly stated.  To engage with each applicant as proposed would divert valuable resources away from case processing which remains the key priority. Once the appropriate processes are completed the application is submitted to me for a decision, which is made in my absolute discretion under the Act by assessing the entirety of the information available to me. 

The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department has a dedicated phone helpline and email helpdesk available for all applicants interested in the progress of their application, details of which are available on the INIS website at www.inis.gov.ie.

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