Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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540. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to concerns related to the application process for non-EU residents applying for citizenship by naturalisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9797/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As part of my Department’s continued commitment to improving its services, an online citizenship application process was made available in October 2023. This has made the application process easier for applicants, allowing them to easily fill in relevant forms, make payments and submit their application on line.

The Citizenship Division of my Department receive a significant number of applications which are incomplete. In such cases, the application is returned to the applicant to upload and re-submit the additional required documentation.

Citizenship Division are aware that in some instances, applicants are uploading the documentation but failing to resubmit the application. If the required documentation is not re-submitted by applicants within the specified timeframe, then their application is deemed incomplete and subsequently refused. It is essential that applicants resubmit their application.

In the past 3 months, over 3,500 applicants have successfully uploaded requested documentation/information and successfully resubmitted their application for consideration.

Furthermore, since the launch of the online application and up to the end of January 2025, over 39,000 applications have been successfully received. This has contributed to a record number of citizenship decisions made last year.

Citizenship Division have also produced a guidance document for all potential applicants which outlines which documents are required for the application. This document is published on my Department's Irish Immigration website and is available here:

Citizenship Division continue to monitor customer experience and are committed to its continuous improvement.