Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
718. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on a person's citizenship application (details supplied); and when it is expected that a decision will be made on their application. [36649/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.
This application is based on Section 16 'Irish Association', which can take longer to process than applications based upon residency.
Section 15 of the Act sets out the statutory conditions that must be fulfilled for a certificate of naturalisation to be granted. Section 16 of the Act gives discretion to waive the statutory conditions in certain circumstances, including where the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish associations (related through blood, affinity or adoption to a person who is or is entitled to be an Irish citizen).
Last year my Department published new guidelines for applications on the basis of Irish Associations under Section 16(1)(a) of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956. They set out the factors that may be considered when deciding whether to waive the statutory conditions in certain circumstances, including where the applicant is of Irish descent or Irish associations. Details of the guidelines are available on my Department’s website at the following link: [www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/].
Applicants can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at: [https://portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/].
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases 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.
