Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2012
170 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the procedures to be followed in respect of a passport application in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31701/12]
View answerEach application for a passport, which is received by the Passport Service, is processed in accordance with the provisions of the Passports Act 2008 (the Act). Details of the various requirements are outlined in the Passport Application Form Notes which accompany each application form. These are also available on the Department's website www.passport.ie
As regards the person in question, I can confirm that an application for a passport was received by the Passport Service on 16 April, 2012. It did not, however, fully meet with the requirements of the Act and thus could not be finalised for passport issue. Accordingly, the Passport Service wrote to the applicant's mother on 25 April, 2012 to inform her of this decision and to advise her of the requirements, which are needed to progress the application. No reply has been received to date from her.
It should be noted that new application form, which has been sent to her, has been pre-registered on the passport system so that on its receipt by the Passport Service, it will be automatically linked into the information and content of the first application.
In light of this, I would recommend that the applicant's mother should reply to the Passport Service's letter of 25 April, 2012 and complete the forms that have been given to her. To help her with this, she can refer to the sources of information in respect of the completion of application forms which is mentioned above or she may contact the Deputy Passport Officer in Balbriggan, Mr. Brian Mulligan (tel. 01.673.3247 — email brian.mulligan@dfa.ie) who is familiar with the application details.
171 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the protocols for the issuance of emergency passports to minors out of hours have changed recently and, if so, the reason for the change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31731/12]
View answerMy Department provides a Duty Officer Service outside normal office hours to deal with matters requiring immediate attention, including the issue of passports in situations of genuine urgency or emergencies. The nature of this service is currently under review in the context of budgetary pressures and the review of allowances being conducted by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
There have been some necessary changes over the past twelve months to the rules covering the issuing of passports out of hours. Stricter measures have been put in place to combat passport fraud and to prevent children being taken from the State without authorisation.
If parental authorisation is secured, an emergency passport may be issued to a minor out of hours where the Duty Officer is satisfied that the proposed journey is related to the death or serious injury or illness abroad of a close relative or a medical emergency relating to the applicant themselves.
