Written answers
Thursday, 3 February 2022
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Citizenship Applications
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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260. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress to date in the determination of an application for dual citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); when the application will be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5775/22]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In order to apply for Foreign Birth Registration, applicants must complete a two step process.
Firstly, the applicant must complete an online form. Secondly, the applicant must print, sign and submit that form along with the supporting documentation that is required to the Department of Foreign Affairs or to their closest Irish Embassy if applying from overseas. The application cannot be registered by the Department until the second step is completed.
While this applicant completed the online form more than one year ago, the signed application form and supporting documentation were not received by the Department until 25 January 2022. It has been registered and is awaiting processing. All documentation received is being stored in a secure environment.
Due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration process, the large increase in applications received following the Brexit vote in the UK, and the pause in the Service due to necessary Covid-19 restrictions, applicants should allow approximately 2 years from the receipt of supporting documentation for processing of Foreign Birth Registration applications at this time.
My Department is fully committed to allocating additional resources over the coming period to assist with the processing of the high volume of new applications anticipated, and the 32,000 Foreign Birth Registration applications currently on hand.
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