Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1280. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); if she will use her discretion in the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15715/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 15 February 2021. This application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. If any further documentation is required, it will be requested from the person in due course.

Section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended gives the Minister for Justice absolute discretion to waive the statutory conditions in certain circumstances, including where the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish associations (defined as related through blood, affinity or adoption to a person who is or is entitled to be an Irish citizen).

Each case is examined on its own merits and all aspects of the case are taken into consideration by the Citizenship Division of my Department before being submitted to me for decision.

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 at: INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, 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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.