136 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason his Department issued ten passports to a person and others (details supplied) on 7 December 1990 when their certificates of naturalisation were not signed by the Minister for Justice until 8 December 1990. [27700/98]

The passports in question, although prepared in the Passport Office on 7 December 1990, contained an issue date of 8 December 1990, the date on which each of the applicants became an Irish citizen.