Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 May 2021
130. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason for a delay in processing the foreign birth registration of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24726/21]
View answerThe processing of Foreign Births Registration (FBR) applications has been temporarily paused as a result of COVID-19 related restrictions.
Prior to this pause, it took twelve to eighteen months to process applications. This was due to pressures on the FBR service, the complex nature of FBR applications, the high volume of applications due to Brexit as well as the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.
The FBR application referenced was registered on 25 February 2020, and is currently waiting to be processed. All documentation submitted is being stored in a secure environment.
The Passport Service is examining how to optimally address the FBR applications on hand, and any delays that have been experienced by a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are regretted. We expect to have an update on this later in the summer.
