Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

305. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if an application for citizenship by a person (details supplied) has been submitted to her for decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36953/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 5 April 2019. 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.

I recognise the crucial role healthcare workers are continuing to play in responding to the threat of COVID-19. They work in a challenging environment and deal with vulnerable people on a daily basis. Their exceptional commitment has been particularly clear throughout the pandemic, during which they have played a vital part in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with legislation. There are no provisions to apply different criteria depending on the category of employment of the applicant. All applicants are required to meet minimum periods of reckonable residence and standard checks are carried out as part of the overall process to maintain its integrity.

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.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

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.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

306. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if an application for citizenship by a person (details supplied) has been submitted to her for decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36954/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 28 May 2020.

This application for naturalisation continues to be 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 in due course.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. The nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

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 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.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

307. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for citizenship and a travel document of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36956/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 6 February 2020 and continues to be 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 in due course.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. The nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

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.

The application for a travel document was recently granted and has been sent to the Passport Office for printing. Once the travel document has been printed it will be posted to the person concerned as soon as possible.

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.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

308. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a person (details supplied) as part of a citizenship application had to submit a passport a month ago; if the passport will be returned to the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36995/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions. Applicants must supply original passports in support of their application to satisfy the requirement for applicants to firmly establish their identity.

In normal circumstances, passports are returned to applicants approximately 10 days after their receipt. However, the current limits on the numbers of staff attending the office due to public health restrictions, has resulted in some delays in this. My Department has recently advised customers not to submit passports with their applications between 25 June and 30 September if they think that they will need to travel during this time. This will also allow the citizenship team to prioritise the processing of applications during the summer months. Where passports have already been submitted and are now needed for urgent reasons, such as medical reasons or to sit medical exams, applicants can contact the citizenship team at citizenshipinfo@justice.ie to request their return. I can assure the Deputy that all requests of this nature will be dealt with promptly.