Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 391: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will confirm a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18042/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The processing of applications for citizenship through Foreign Births Registration is an important function of Irish Missions abroad. The majority of applications tend to be lodged with Missions in countries which in the past received large numbers of Irish emigrants. While the vast bulk of applications are lodged in our Missions in the United States, Great Britain and Australia, our Embassy Pretoria also receives significant numbers of applications. In the past, many of these Missions experienced backlogs in the processing of applications of this nature, which in most cases have now been cleared.

Irish citizenship, which confers considerable rights, both in this country and throughout the EU, is highly prized and hence there is a strong obligation on the State to ensure the integrity of the process. Many applications require additional work such as checking the authenticity of certificates and further contact with the applicants to seek additional documentation. Like all our Missions abroad, the Embassy in Pretoria is obliged to work within certain resource constraints. Last year, there was a backlog of seven hundred applications for Foreign Births Registration in the Embassy, Pretoria comprised of applications from residents of South Africa and some from Zimbabwe. By temporarily redeploying resources in the Passport Office in Balbriggan, the backlog in Pretoria has now been reduced to approximately two hundred and fifty outstanding applications for Foreign Births Registration.

As a result, the Embassy is normally in a position to advise customers that the normal processing time for Foreign Births Registration applications is six months. This processing time is expected to be reduced in the coming months. The processing period for replacement Foreign Births Registration Certificates, issued by the Embassy Pretoria is approximately one month. If the Certificate was issued by another Embassy or by Consular section in Dublin, the process of issuing a replacement Certificate in Pretoria can take up to three months. Passport applications are processed by the Embassy in four to six weeks from the time of receiving a completed application. I regret that it has not been possible to deal with the case cited by the Deputy within the turn around target. I have asked the Embassy to ensure that this matter is processed as a matter of urgency.