James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. The fees charged in respect of applications for a certificate of naturalisation are governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011. The fee is charged in two parts. The current application fee is €175, payable when an application for naturalisation is lodged, in addition to which is a certification fee, payable when a certificate of naturalisation issues. The standard certification fee is set at €950, while a reduced fee of €200 applies in the case of an application made on behalf of a minor or in certain cases where the application is made by a widow, widower or surviving civil partner of an Irish citizen. In the case of recognised refugees and stateless persons, there is no certification fee.

There is no provision for the discretionary waiver or reduction of fees or for different fees to be applied. I am informed that the introduction of the application fee had an immediate positive effect on the quality and completeness of applications, which is ultimately to the benefit of applicants. All of the fees payable under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, are kept under ongoing review by the Department. There are, however, currently no plans to amend the fees.

The standard fees payable by an applicant are designed to reflect the effort and cost involved in processing applications for a certificate of naturalisation which, given the benefits involved, is quite a detailed process. The Deputy will be aware that formal citizenship ceremonies were introduced almost ten years ago. These have been universally well-received by participants as the ceremonies provide a sense of dignity and a celebratory occasion that serves to underscore the importance to both the State and the applicant of the grant of Irish citizenship. Covid-19 has, unfortunately, prevented the holding of our large-scale citizenship ceremonies, which is impacting the processing of applications. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, was, therefore, pleased to recently approve a solution to replace the ceremonies with a sworn affidavit on an interim basis. This will enable approximately 3,000 applicants to be granted citizenship in the very near future.

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