Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
1177. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Justice if a citizenship application made by (details supplied) which was submitted on 10 July 2023 is being processed, considering that a cheque for payment has not been cashed. [38354/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application referred to by the Deputy has been received by my Department and is in a queue to be processed. I am assured that this will be dealt with shortly.
When an application for a certificate of naturalisation is received by the Citizenship Division of my Department, they are subject to an initial check and examination. On completion of the initial checks, my Department will assign an application number and issue an acknowledgment to the address given at the time of making the application.
In early 2023, a registration unit was established within Citizenship Division to ensure applications are registered and acknowledged promptly. In 2022 it took on average seven months for this part of the process to be completed. Under the new system it has been reduced to a matter of weeks but may vary based on the number of applications received.
I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department has continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions.
My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be the freeing up of more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, improving service to our customers and reduction of waiting times.
