Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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438. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a replacement foreign birth registration certificate will issue to a person (details supplied) as it is urgently required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52972/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the processing time for FBR applications stood at 18 months due to an unprecedented surge in applications as a result of Brexit, and the necessary rigorous processing that applies to citizenship applications.

Due to the pandemic, FBR staff have been reassigned to assist in the delivery of essential services. This has resulted in a pause in overall FBR processing including the replacement of FBR certificates.

The applicant applied for a replacement FBR certificate on 26 September 2021. The Passport Service has been in touch with the applicant requesting the submission of the relevant documentation required to process the request. As soon as the supporting documentation has been provided and checked, a replacement certificate will issue to the applicant.

The Passport Service is actively planning to resume processing FBR applications as soon as possible. My Department is committed to allocating further resources to assist with the high volume of applications, with a focus on reducing turnaround times. In the medium term, changes to the FBR process to increase efficiencies and improve the customer experience will be delivered under the next phase of my Department's Passport Reform Programme.