Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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165. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will address a matter regarding the case of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25692/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is the policy of the Visa Division of the Immigration Service of my Department to return certain original documents, such as birth certificates, once copied. Due to the passage of time, and in line with the data retention policy, copies of documents submitted with a visa application in 2005 would have been confidentially disposed of by now.

A person making an application for a certificate of naturalisation is 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form of a currently valid passport and may include other original supporting documents, such as a previously held or out of date passport, birth certificate and marriage certificate.

In rare circumstances where an applicant cannot produce their current passport, or a previous passport, birth certificate or other supporting documents, the applicant will be required to provide a full explanation. Such explanation should, where possible, be supported by satisfactory evidence that they have attempted to obtain such documentation and correspondence from the relevant authorities or embassy responsible for the issuing of passports and birth certificates in their country, clearly stating the reasons the documentation cannot be provided. The Immigration Service will consider the explanation 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.