Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 15 February 2024

Public Accounts Committee

Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 24 - Justice
Vote 21 - Prisons

9:30 am

Mr. Doncha O'Sullivan:

Yes, we are conscious of the issue of naturalising minors. We did a lot of work last year to clear a backlog of that, processing approximately 5,500 cases for minors. The current processing time is approximately nine months. Our objective is to get it down to six months. As the Deputy said, the decisions should be straightforward so we are keen to ensure they are dealt with as quickly as possible. It is a particular focus.