Written answers

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Foreign Birth Registration

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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367. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason for the suspension of processing of foreign birth registrations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11871/21]

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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368. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when he expects the processing of foreign birth registrations to resume; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11872/21]

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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374. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he is taking to ensure the foreign births register staff are contactable and applicants can receive an update on their applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12069/21]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 367, 368 and 374 together.

The Passport Service has paused the processing of Foreign Births Registration (FBR) applications as Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Passport Service staff have been temporarily reassigned to provide consular assistance for Irish citizens overseas.

Passport Service staff must be on site in order to process FBR applications which often involves official paper documentation related to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. This is to protect the personal data of the applicant.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in two periods in 2020 where processing of Foreign Birth Registrations was paused to assist with other essential work such as providing Consular Assistance to Irish citizens overseas. This resulted in 26 weeks of 2020 where the processing of FBR applications was paused. In spite of the pausing of the service, 12,413 people were entered on the Foreign Births Register in 2020. Processing for normal FBR applications has not yet resumed in 2021.

At present, there are 27,000 applications in the FBR system that are awaiting processing.

A comprehensive plan is in place to resume all services, in line with the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Applications that have been sent to the FBR team are being stored securely and will be processed when services resume at Level 3 of the Framework.

My Department operates a clear and transparent general policy of processing FBR applications in order of receipt. However, we will consider urgent requests to expedite an application on a case by case basis. During Level 5 restrictions, applicants can make contact with the Passport Service through the WebChat service.

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