Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 November 2022
465. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the foreign birth registration application for a person (details supplied) can be reviewed and expedited; and if he will address matters in relation to the delays in this process. [55508/22]
View answerMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish Citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. In 2015, prior to Brexit, a total of 6,000 entries were made to the register. In 2019, a peak number of 19,000 entries were made to the Foreign Births Register.
The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen to date in 2022.
My Department has put in place a number of measures that will address the volume of FBR applications currently on hand with a view to significantly reducing the processing time for these citizenship applications by the end of this year.
The application to which the Deputy has referred is currently being processed. A member of the FBR team has been in contact with the applicant in this regard.
