Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 May 2023
40. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a foreign birth registration application (details supplied) will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20583/23]
View answer41. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a foreign birth certificate will issue to a person (details supplied) who applied in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20592/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 41 together.
My 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. The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen in 2022.
FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of between 6 and 9 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications which require further supporting documents will take longer to process.
Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.
With regard to the specific Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has approved these applications and has issued FBR certificates to the applicants.
