Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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246. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in light of the current backlog in citizenship applications, her plans to allow for the taking of declarations and undertakings in naturalisation applications other than in citizenship ceremonies, as provided for in the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45812/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Citizenship ceremonies were first introduced in 2011 and mark the transition to Irish citizenship by new citizens in a dignified and celebratory manner with the appropriate solemnity such a landmark event deserves. The ceremonies have been universally well received and contribute in no small measure to the continuing integration of our new citizens.

The provisions referred to by the Deputy of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 (applications under section 15 and 15A) facilitate the Minister in dispensing with the requirement to attend a ceremony and allow the applicant to make the declaration and give the undertaking in such manner as the Minister may specify (in this case, on affidavit). This process will be considered where the Minister is of the opinion that it is appropriate to do so in the interests of ensuring that such applications are dealt with in an efficient manner.

My Department is aware that delays in processing times are frustrating and disruptive for applicants, and are working hard to improve the position. A suite of measures – including additional staffing – has been introduced in Citizenship Division of late in order to reduce processing times and eliminate current backlogs. In addition, citizenship ceremonies scheduled for December this year will bring to 17 the total of ceremonies held in 2023, with plans for increasing numbers of ceremonies in 2024.

The Deputy may also wish to note that, as part of the move away from a paper based processing system, online application and payment options have been introduced with effect from Monday 16th October. The digitalisation of the process will enable application forms to be submitted online and supporting documentation uploaded concurrently, along with an online payment function. This development will have a significant impact on processing efficiency and simplify the application process for applicants.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.

I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eVetting and online payments.

This week, my Department moved from paper based applications to online forms for all new applications going forward. Online applications will make the process easier for customers, allowing them to easily fill in the relevant forms, upload the required documents, make payments and submit. The forms will provide a seamless application process and will help guide applicants through what is required for an application.

The end result of the digitisation process will be the freeing up of more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, improving service to our customers and reduction of waiting times.

Finally, I can advise the Deputy that the Citizenship Division of my Department intends to regularly communicate with all applicants on a quarterly basis into the future, to keep them updated on the status of their application.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.