The Department of Justice directed staff in July last year to stop approving citizenship applications until higher fees came into force.
RTÉ obtained documents under a Freedom of Information request about raising the fees for naturalisation from €650 to €950.
The information included an email from a Department of Justice official dated 1 July 2008, which instructed 'Approval letters should NOT (emphasis in document) be issued until further notice. This is because of Regulations due to come into effect shortly, which will amend fees for Naturalisation certificates'.
A statutory instrument was signed by the Ministers for Finance and Justice on 25 July 2008 bringing the new revised fees into effect.
Citizenship applications approved in 2008 show a marked drop in July after the email was sent and a dramatic increase in August after the increased fees are approved.
June 2008 - 301 applications approved
July 2008 - 57 applications approved
August 2008 - 434 applications approved
Sept 2008 - 558 applications approved
Among the documents a note marked 'justification' indicates that the increases are to cut waiting times for applicants and to cover the costs of increased staff numbers.
Waiting times for applicants are on average 23 months (as opposed to six months in the UK, 11 months in Canada and three months in Australia).
Immigration lawyers dealing with the Department have also told RTÉ that the number of people working in the citizenship section of the Dept of Justice is to be cut.
