Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 January 2024
55. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a decision will be made on an application for foreign birth registration (details supplied); the reason for the delay in processing the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3282/24]
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 or Naturalisation.
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.
FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of 8-9 months from receipt of all required supporting documents, a decrease in turnaround time of 75% from over two and a half years in 2022. Applications that require further supporting documents will take longer to process.
With regard to the specific Foreign Birth Registration application about which the Deputy has enquired, the online application was made in March 2023. Supporting documents were received by the Passport Service in late July 2023. In line with current processing times, this application will be processed by April 2024.
