Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014
1219. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way the reconfiguration of passport services has affected the range of services available at the passport office in County Cork and the improvements in the processing times for passports achieved by reorganisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34800/14]
View answerI can confirm that there has been no reconfiguration of services in the Cork Passport Office. Accordingly, all services which had been available in that office at the start of the year continue to be provided. However, earlier this year, the Passport Service introduced an appointment system for quick turnaround at the Passport Office in Cork. This system, which had already been running successfully in Dublin, allows customers to book, via a simple web based system, guaranteed time slots before travelling into the Passport Office. The priority in the system is given to those with urgent travel needs and all others are encouraged to use the passport express service. This is a customer-orientated service removing the necessity for the public to queue in the passport office as they have an allocated time in the office for their passport application submissions.
