Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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201. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department will confirm if a person (details supplied) is eligible for Irish citizenship based on their parent's citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51251/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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All passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008, as amended. The 2008 Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to that person. Entitlement to Irish citizenship is determined by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, under which Irish citizenship may be obtained by birth, by descent, or by naturalisation.

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.

With regards to the Deputy's query, the applicant is eligible for citizenship through FBR. The Passport Service has been in contact with the applicant's parent about their application and has provided guidance to assist them with their application.

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

By its nature, FBR 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.

The Passport Service Customer Service Hub has dedicated agents to deal with FBR application queries. The contact number for urgent queries is +353 1 568 3331. Further information is also available on the Department's website.