Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received in my Department from the person referred to by the Deputy on 28 March 2019. Applications are processed, in the chronological order in which they are received, with a view to establishing whether the applicants meet the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. The application will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible once processing is completed.

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.

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