Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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303. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a person (details supplied) who has been living here for over fifty years needs to apply for citizenship and pay the costs associated with the citizenship application process in order to get a passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23348/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is authorised to issue passports to Irish citizens only. This is set out in the Passports Act, 2008. Entitlement to Irish citizenship is in turn subject to the terms of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended.

Accordingly, the Passport Service is obliged to seek documentary evidence of Irish citizenship by birth, parentage/descent, or naturalisation before a passport application can be processed. The Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade does not have the authority to declare an individual a citizen or recognise him/her as such in the absence of such evidence.

The Passport Service has advised that previous correspondence with the person concerned indicates that he may qualify for Irish citizenship through a grandparent who was born on the island of Ireland. It should be noted, however, that the relevant legislation states that the Irish citizenship of individuals in this category commences only after inclusion on the Foreign Births’ Register (FBR). The Passport Service can therefore only proceed with a passport application from this person once it includes an FBR certificate as evidence of Irish citizenship.

The fee for registering a foreign birth is €270 for applicants over 18 and €145 for applicants under 18. These fees are set out in the Foreign Birth Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 47 of 2013). There is no provision for waiving the fee in the legislation and currently there are no proposals to amend the fee. Full details regarding FBR may be consulted on my Department’s website at .