Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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559.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for Irish citizenship (details supplied); the expected timeframe in which a decision will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25335/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.

The person concerned submitted an Irish Association naturalisation application on 27 September 2023. Median processing times for citizenship applications currently stand at approximately 19 months.

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.

My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eVetting and online payments.

My Department has recently moved from paper to online based citizenship applications. This is one of a number of measures introduced in an effort to optimise the application process and enhance the overall customer service experience. As part of the new online process, customers are issued with an acknowledgment on submission of the online application. The forms provide a seamless application process and help guide applicants through what is required for an application.

In a little over two years the Citizenship Division of my Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications. This 66% increase in processing has been achieved through digitising and streamlining processes.

Finally, I can advise the Deputy that the Citizenship Division of my Department continues to communicate regularly with all applicants to keep them informed as to updates on processing times and arrangements.

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: IMoireachtasmail@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.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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560.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a person with refugee status in Ukraine, who is legally resident in Ireland due to the war in Ukraine, can apply for Irish citizenship as he has no passport from his own country and no prospect of getting one as he is a refugee; or if he becomes entitled to apply for Irish citizenship after 5 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25384/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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EU Council Implementing Decision 2022/382 applied the provisions of the Temporary Protection Directive to persons displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including persons recognised as refugees in Ukraine. The Council Implementing Decision was extended to March 2025 at a meeting of the European Council last September.

Discussions on the arrangements for beneficiaries of Temporary Protection after March 2025, when the Directive is no longer active, are ongoing, both within the Government and at an EU level, in recognition of the need for certainty for beneficiaries of temporary protection in the EU. These discussions include the residency conditions for beneficiaries of Temporary Protection when the Directive is no longer active in March 2025. The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot pre-empt future discussions and decisions of either the EU or the Government.

The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Section 15 of the Act sets out the statutory conditions that must be fulfilled for a certificate of naturalisation to be granted. The conditions include that applicants must have 5 years reckonable residence in the State prior to making an application. There is no exemption from these requirements for beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in Ireland.