Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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129. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a passport will issue for a child (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17531/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, initial supporting documents for the application were received on 20 February 2023. Turnaround time begins from the date supporting documents are received. Turnaround time for first time online applications is 20 working days. On 14 March 2023 the Passport Service requested further supporting documents from the applicant's parent. These further documents were received by the Passport Service on 27 March 2023. The turnaround time following the submission of further supporting documents is 15 working days. The Passport Service will contact the applicant's parent in relation to the application. 

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.

Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen in 2022.

During 2022, my Department implemented a number of measures to address the volume of FBR applications on hand, with a view to significantly reducing the processing time for these applications. These measures, which include increased staffing directed towards the processing of FBR applications, have been successful in reducing the waiting time for applicants. FBR applications are now being processed within the normal turnaround times of between 6 and 9 months from receipt of supporting documents, down from over 2 years in September 2022.

Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application was registered on 11 August 2022. A member of the FBR team will be in contact with the applicant in relation to this application in due course.