Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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195. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current wait time for citizenship applications in the State; the longest anyone has been left waiting for citizenship; the number of staff currently employed for the purposes of processing citizenship applications; the number of staff employed as of January 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5220/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Citizenship division of my Department currently, has 113 staff assigned across all grades with a whole time equivalent of 105.73. The staffing levels in the Citizenship Division of my Department are kept under constant review and additional staff have been assigned to the team, as required.

On average, between 70 and 75% of the staffing total is dedicated to the processing of naturalisation applications. The below table contains the number of staff in the years requested:

* Cross divisional realignment in the Immigration Service relating to naturalisation occurred in 2016 therefore staffing numbers are not available before 2017.  Significant structural changes were made to the Department’s organisational structure in 2019 which have benefitted citizenship division.

The median processing time for applications now currently stands at 19 months. I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs. Unfortunately, due to unprecedented demand, and the legacy of the pandemic delays, processing times have been extended. 

There are almost 26,000 applications on hand at various stages of processing with a small number greater than 5 years. There is a range of reasons why applications may be in the naturalisation process for lengthy periods.

I understand that many of the oldest files in the system have been put on hold at the request of the applicant. Periodic contact is maintained with the applicant and every effort is made to facilitate the applicant in the context of changing and sometimes challenging personal circumstances. While the onus remains with the applicant to complete the process the citizenship division maintains ongoing contact with the applicants. 

In other instances, information requested from the applicant may be outstanding or there may be a delay in receiving supporting information.

In 2022 there were 13,613 Certificates of Naturalisation issued, including 1,719 in respect of minor applicants. This represents a 39% increase on the number of certificates issued in 2021 (9,780) and demonstrates my Department's commitment to processing applications in a timely manner.

There are ongoing developments and improvements being made to the citizenship application process. Significant reforms  have been introduced for customers to streamline the number of proofs required to establish their identity and residency as part of the application process. A new scorecard was introduced to help applicants to complete their applications. Since this initiative went live, a preliminary review of applications received indicates that the quality of the applications has markedly improved.  

I welcome this development which builds on other innovative measures introduced in the application process, including the deployment of “Tara” the e-chat bot, as well as e-payments, e-tax clearance and Gardaí e-vetting, and the removal of the requirement to provide the original passport when making an application, all of which have positively enhanced the applicant's experience.