Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

137. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a decision will be made on a foreign birth registration application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43711/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The annual intake of Foreign Births Register (FBR) applications has increased significantly in recent years, from approximately 6,000 applications in 2015 to 32,000 in 2019. So far this year over 18,500 applications have been submitted. This heavy demand is largely due to Brexit.

In addition, the complex nature of the applications, as well as the constraints on output due to Covid-19 restrictions, has meant that there are approximately arrears of 27,000 applications. The service is, therefore, currently taking twelve to eighteen months to deliver.

With additional resources, the Department is working to reduce these arrears and thereby improve the delivery period for this service.

With regard to the specific application to which the Deputy refers, this was registered on 18 October 2019 and is on schedule to be processed in the coming weeks.