Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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180. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when a decision will be made in respect of an application for foreign birth registration (details supplied); the reason for the delay in making a decision on said application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23677/23]

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.

FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of between 6 and 9 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications which require further supporting documents will take longer to process.

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 FBR application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application was registered on 27 June 2022. The application was initially processed on 14 March 2023, and the Passport Service requested further supporting documents from the applicant on that day. The further supporting documents were received for the application on 4 April 2023, and the application is being processed by the Passport Service.