The number of successful applications for citizenship more than tripled last year, an Oireachtas committee has heard.
Last year, there were 22,500 applications for citizenship, with 20,000 decisions given.
Oonagh McPhillips, Secretary General of the Department of Justice, told the Public Accounts Committee that there were 15 ceremonies held to bestow citizenship on 13,700 people.
This is up from six ceremonies in 2022 to give citizenship to 4,300 people, from 17,188 applications and 15,000 decisions.
There was also a “significant increase last year across the board for all type of visa applications”, including “for employment for study, and also to join family”.
Doncha O’Sullivan, Deputy General Secretary, said that the “office in India particularly is very busy”, with processing times taking six to 12 weeks.
He also revealed that 857 deportation orders were made, which were carried out in just 80 cases, with gardaí putting individuals on an aircraft.
Often, a deportation order is issued after someone has failed to engage with the department.
When officers go to an address the individual is no longer there, Mr O’Sullivan said, as “a very significant number” had already left the State.
Ms McPhillips pointed out that the deportation order remains in effect, and can be acted upon if the individual is located at a future date.
“We don’t have exit checks,” she said.
Staff numbers doubled
There are “just over a thousand people” working in immigration service delivery, Mr O’Sullivan said.
Of those, 400 are working in the International Protection Office.
This is up from 199 staff at the end of 2022, meaning that it doubled over the course of last year.
The “aim is to get to 480 in the course of this year,” he said.
Mr O’Sullivan also pointed out that anyone seeking asylum from a country which is designated safe will still get an interview.
If their particular circumstances warrant, they will get asylum, he said.
Richard Dixon, Director of the International Protection Office, revealed that 500 asylum seekers have been waiting more than five years.
“It is an extraordinary length of time,” he conceded.
But he noted that most applications are processed quickly.
