Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2009
400 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish passports which were reported lost or stolen here and outside the country in 2008 and to date in 2009; the number in each category which have subsequently turned up as forged passports which were presented at entry points here or abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28043/09]
View answerDetails of the numbers of passports reported in 2008 and for the first half of 2009 as lost or stolen are set out in the table. My Department does not retain statistics as to whether the loss or theft occurred in Ireland or overseas.
|
Year |
Total passports issued |
Reported lost |
Reported stolen |
Total reported lost or stolen |
% of total issued |
|
2008 |
577,000 |
31,262 |
5,002 |
36,264 |
6.3% |
|
2009 to 30 June |
320,000 |
14,713 |
2,422 |
17,135 |
5.4% |
The introduction of the biometric or e-passport on 16 October, 2006 has greatly enhanced the security features of the Irish passport. The microchip in the passport contains a digital image of the holder which cannot be altered. Any attempt to alter the data on the microchip will be apparent when the passport is read at a border control station because of the added security on the chip.
The Passports Act 2008 also introduced a series of new offences relating to the misuse of passports and passport fraud.
The Department draws attention on passport application forms to the fact that a passport is a valuable document and that loss or theft is a serious matter. It recommends in its travel advice that passports should always be kept in a secure place.
Serial numbers of all lost, stolen and mislaid passports are reported to Interpol, through An Garda Síochána, on a weekly basis. This information is then circulated to police forces around the world which helps prevent lost or stolen passports being fraudulently used for travel. Records at Interpol Dublin indicate that some 87 Irish passports listed on the Interpol database as reported lost or stolen were detected at immigration points in 2008. A further 77 instances of such passports being presented arose in the period 1 January to 2 July 2009. The increased frequency of such occurrences is due to an increase in the number of ports and airports carrying out checks against the Interpol database.
The majority of such incidents concern circumstances where a person had reported a passport as lost or stolen, obtained a replacement passport, but subsequently recovered the previous passport and continued to use it. These cases are generally resolved quickly through enquiries with the Passport Office.
The notes accompanying passport application forms state that persons should not attempt to travel on a passport which has been reported lost or stolen. When completing the statement of loss, applicants undertake not to travel on a missing passport if subsequently found.
