I propose to take Questions Nos. 1038, 1039, 1098, 1114 and 1118 together.
I am aware of the delays being experienced by Citizenship applicants and I would like to assure those people that everything possible is being done to clear the existing backlogs.
The current backlog is a legacy of the pandemic, where processing times were significantly impacted due to the paper based nature of applications and the ability of staff to attend the office. It should also be noted that Citizenship applications continued to be accepted throughout the pandemic in spite of the restrictions on processing.
The median processing time for applications now currently stands at 19 months. I understand this can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to reduce processing times.
In 2022 there were 13,613 Certificates of Naturalisation issued, including 1,719 in respect of minor applicants. This represents a 39% increase on the number of certificates issued for 2021 (9,780) and demonstrates my Department's commitment to processing applications in a timely manner.
In early 2023, a registration unit was established within Citizenship Division to ensure applications are registered and acknowledged promptly. In 2022 it took on average seven months for this part of the process to be completed. Under the new system it has been reduced to a matter of weeks. There is a small batch of applications from late 2022 that are yet to be registered, however, I am assured that these will be dealt with shortly.
These measures are designed to give certainty to customers that their applications have been received and have begun to be processed. However, I can assure you that all naturalisation applications will be processed based upon the date that they are received and not based on when they are registered. Applications for naturalisation are dealt with in chronological order.
Significant reforms have also been introduced for customers to streamline the number of proofs required to establish their identity and residency as part of the application process. A new scorecard was introduced to help applicants to complete their applications. Since this initiative went live, a preliminary review of applications received indicates that the quality of the applications has markedly improved.
I welcome this development which builds on other innovative measures introduced in the application process, including the deployment of “Tara” the e-chat bot, as well as e-payments, e-tax clearance and Gardaí e-vetting, and the removal of the requirement to provide the original passport when making an application, all of which have positively enhanced the applicant's experience.
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.
