Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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314. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1097 of 21 March 2023, if the e-vetting of applicants for 2023 is being processed ahead of applicants for 2021 and 2022; the reason this is happening; the length of time the e-vetting process will take for 2021 and 2022 applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20111/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications for naturalisation and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner and therefore improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.

In early 2023, as part of this streamlining process, a registration unit was established within Citizenship Division to ensure earlier registration and acknowledgment of applications as they are received. In 2022 it took on average seven months for this part of the process to be completed. Under the new system it has been reduced to a matter of weeks. As a by-product of this development, applications received under these new arrangements have commenced the eVetting process sooner. eVetting links will, however, shortly issue to all existing customers who applied prior to January 2023 and have yet to receive them.