Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 February 2024
65. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a person (details supplied) who applied to the foreign birth register will have their application processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7082/24]
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 FBR application about which the Deputy has enquired, the online application was made and supporting documents received by the Passport Service in May 2023. Further supporting documents for the application were requested from the applicant on 11 February 2024. The application cannot proceed until the required supporting documents are submitted.
The Passport Service Customer Service Hub has dedicated agents to deal with Foreign Birth Registration application queries. The contact number for urgent Foreign Birth Registration queries is +353 1 568 3331. This number is also available on the Department's website.
