Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2021
308. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if a person (details supplied) as part of a citizenship application had to submit a passport a month ago; if the passport will be returned to the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36995/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions. Applicants must supply original passports in support of their application to satisfy the requirement for applicants to firmly establish their identity.
In normal circumstances, passports are returned to applicants approximately 10 days after their receipt. However, the current limits on the numbers of staff attending the office due to public health restrictions, has resulted in some delays in this. My Department has recently advised customers not to submit passports with their applications between 25 June and 30 September if they think that they will need to travel during this time. This will also allow the citizenship team to prioritise the processing of applications during the summer months. Where passports have already been submitted and are now needed for urgent reasons, such as medical reasons or to sit medical exams, applicants can contact the citizenship team at citizenshipinfo@justice.ie to request their return. I can assure the Deputy that all requests of this nature will be dealt with promptly.
