Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2026
534. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on current ISD staffing levels; the application backlog size, by stamp category; the timeline for returning to reasonable processing times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47525/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand the Deputy has been in contact with officials in my Department and it has been agreed that information would be provided in relation to staffing and applications in relation to the Visa division, Registration Office and the Citizenship divisions of my Department.
Table 1 below sets out the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff assigned to the specified divisions of Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) as of 15 June 2026.
|
Division |
FTE staff (as of 15 June 26) |
|
Dublin Visa Division |
57.4 |
|
Registration Office |
93.1 |
|
Citizenship Division |
76.4 |
*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
Staffing levels are kept under ongoing review having regard to demands placed on my Department’s ISD function generally.
The Registration Office of my Department is currently experiencing an exceptionally high demand for first time registration appointments and immigration permission renewal applications.
I can assure the Deputy that my Department is exploring every avenue available to facilitate as many customers as possible and to increase processing capacity.
The Registration Office is open seven days a week to facilitate customers to process both first time registration appointments and online renewals. Additional staff have been assigned to this work, which has now begun to reduce the processing time for renewals. For certain categories of renewals, the processing time is now approximately 6 - 8 weeks from the time of initial application, with no category exceeding a wait time of 16 weeks.
The Registration Office provide a live application processing date broken down by stamp category, which is updated every Monday, and is available at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/how-to-renew-your-current-permission/renewing-your-registration-permission-if-you-live-in-the-republic-of-ireland/
There are approximately 77,000 online renewal applications awaiting to be processed by my Department.
Processing times for naturalisation applications are now decreasing year on year. The median processing time for a decision on an application in 2024 and 2025 was 8 months, down from 15 months in 2023, and 19 months in 2022. It is expected that going forward, the vast majority of applicants will continue to receive a decision within one year, however, it is important to note that no two naturalisation applications are the same and some take longer than others to process.
The number of naturalisation applications on hand is approximately 50,000, with around 70% of those on hand 12 months or less.
In relation to Visa and preclearance applications, these provide legal avenues for people moving to Ireland for employment, study and family reasons, and to facilitate visitors who wish to travel for business and/or tourism. They are important screening processes, designed to establish that a person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland prior to travel. Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system. Each visa application is assessed on its own merits, taking all relevant information into consideration at that time.
While processing times can vary across the different Visa Offices and Irish Embassies, the majority of visas are processed within stated target times. However, some applications can take considerably longer. Processing times for all applications are influenced by a number of factors. The time it can take varies depending on the type and complexity of application; individual circumstances; peak application periods, such as holidays or the start of the school year; and, crucially, the quality and completeness of the application lodged. Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system and the checks involved can take time to complete.
Processing times and decisions at the Visa Offices in Dublin and overseas can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/
The table below outlines the number of short stay (Type C) and long stay (Type D) visa applications received and first instance decisions issued across all Visa Offices for 2025 and up to 31 March 2026.
|
|
C-Visa Applications Received |
C-Visas Granted |
C-Visas Refused |
D-Visa Applications Received |
D-Visas Granted |
D-Visas Refused |
|
2025 |
144,465 |
114,324 |
22,586 |
61,144 |
45,349 |
13,327 |
|
2026 (to 31/03) |
32,905 |
20,920 |
4,901 |
10,282 |
6,868 |
3,118 |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
** A decision made in a particular month may relate to an application received in a previous year.
* **Grants and Refusals are all first instance decisions
