Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 October 2023
7. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the measures undertaken by her Department to reduce citizenship application processing times, particularly in respect of applications submitted in 2021 and 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43951/23]
View answerMy question relates to applications of citizenship. What should be a joyful process and a wonderful experience has become mired in delay. What measures has the Department taken to reduce the backlog? The response to a recent question from a colleague on the Government side of the House confirmed that there is a backlog of 15,000 on the waiting list. How far back is that? It mentions 2021 and 2022. Does it go back even further?
I thank the Deputy for raising the important matter of the measures undertaken by the Department to reduce citizenship application processing times in particular in respect of applications submitted in 2021 and 2022. My Department is focused on improving the naturalisation process for applicants and reducing the backlog of cases as soon as possible. Additional staff have been assigned and services are being digitised and streamlined. Thanks to these measures, the number of cases processed has increased by more than 30% against pre-pandemic figures. Further digitisation is in train, which is making the application process more user-friendly and efficient.
To date in 2023, a decision has been made on 7,643 adult applications and 3,956 minor applications, with 9,723 certificates of naturalisation having issued. Of the cases on hand, 4,210 have received a positive decision and are now in the process of making their final payment or being scheduled to attend a ceremony. Insofar as applications made in 2021 and 2022 are concerned, of the 11,974 applications received in 2021, 9,185 applicants have received a decision to date along with 4,074 of the 17,177 applications from 2022.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that as a result of the significant measures being taken to improve processing rates, the vast majority of the outstanding applications from 2021 and 2022 are now in the final stages of processing. These applications are being prioritised for conclusion, although I should note that each individual application is potentially different and therefore some may take longer to process than others. In parallel with the measures being taken to improve processing, the Deputy will be glad to know that more of the very successful citizenship ceremonies are being held this year, with ten having taken place so far and an additional seven planned for December. I regard these welcoming occasions as an essential contribution to celebrating difference and diversity in our country.
I certainly welcome the citizenship ceremonies. However, my question is very specific in relation to the delay caused by the backlog. I would be grateful if the Minister of State could be more specific. I welcome the fact that there are extra staff but I understand that this section lost staff because of the passport crisis. What resources are being used within the Department to handle these applications? The backlog is unacceptable. I have a specific case in mind which is always helpful.
That person has been waiting since March 2021 and is in limbo land - although we have abolished limbo - given the travel restrictions and all the consequences that follow from not having citizenship. I ask the Minister of State to be more specific with me. What staff have been put in place? Are there sufficient staff to handle it? Are we prioritising the latest applications as opposed to the backlog so that the figures look better and we are processing more? What has been set aside specifically to deal with the backlog?
Regarding the backlog, I fully appreciate applicants for citizenship wish to have their decision made as quickly as possible and without any delay. There certainly has been a backlog but it is one we are working through as quickly as possible. The nature of the naturalisation process is such that for a broad range of reasons some cases take longer than others to process. In some cases, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time. However, it is important to note that the current backlog in citizenship application processing has arisen largely due to the legacy of restrictions imposed on staff attendance in the office during the pandemic and the recent increase in applications. It is expected almost 20,000 applications will be received this year, up almost 20% on last year and significantly up on recent years. The median processing time for applications is 19 months, which is not good enough. The efficiency measures I mentioned are intended to achieve a significant reduction in this timeline. This will be monitored and managed closely.
I do not have the exact figures on staffing but this is being given priority within the Department. In terms of staffing and in the terms of digitisation and other changes in processes, we are trying to speed this process up as quickly as possible.
I appreciate that this is a legacy issue. I know some cases are complicated. However, let us be blunt and straight here; it is a legacy issue. As well as staff not being available because of the Covid pandemic, staff were also reassigned to other matters. Have they been brought back into this section? When does the Minister of State expect the backlog to be cleared? In the example I quoted, the person has been waiting since March 2021, which is over two and a half years. This person is working away but is totally restricted. I now understand that the e-vetting will start for that person. How long will the e-vetting take? Will the e-vetting take into account that that person has now been waiting - through no fault of their own - since March 2021? Will that person now wait another two years to get the citizenship? What resources are necessary? Specifically, are the later applications in 2022 and 2023 being prioritised to give a faster processing time while the backlog is not being dealt with adequately? Surely priority should be given to the backlog and adequate resources assigned.
If the Deputy wants to give me details of the specific case, I can look into that particular situation.
Just generally, how long does the e-vetting take?
Obviously, there are a lot of moving parts in any process when dealing with a backlog, such as how many applications will be made in a particular year and, of course, as the Deputy mentioned, staffing as well, but it is being given priority. We are moving to a digitisation of e-vetting, replacing a largely paper-based process with a simple email link. This is speeding up the process significantly. Some who have started the e-vetting have probably been processed a bit more quickly than those who were in the system already. However, those who are in the backlog are being processed as quickly as possible as well. It is not a case of prioritising one group over another. E-vetting is a quicker process and those who got in a bit earlier did not have the opportunity at the time to use the e-vetting process. However, we are clearing the backlog as quickly as possible.
