James Lawless
Ceist:150. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on applications (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24548/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 23 May 2023
Ceisteanna (150)
Freagraí scríofa
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 FBR applications about which the Deputy has enquired, the first application is currently being processed by the Passport Service and a member of the FBR team will be in contact with the applicant's parents in this regard. The second application was registered on 27 April 2023, and is being stored in a secure environment as it awaits entitlement checking. If there are overlapping supporting documents between both applications, the FBR team will contact the parents to request the relevant documents.