Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
742. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the operation of the Passport Office during Covid-19; the length of time persons are expected to wait with all their personal documentation before their application is processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13957/21]
View answer746. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the embargo on processing passports will be lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14074/21]
View answer747. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way in which he plans to address the backlog of processing applications for passports in which same are required for essential travel and official purposes. [14126/21]
View answer751. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the Passport Office will reopen; and the reason online applications cannot be processed at this time. [14562/21]
View answer768. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the date the online renewal service for passports will resume; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15110/21]
View answer769. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the estimated length of the backlog for passport applications and passport renewal applications due to the closure of the online renewal service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15111/21]
View answer771. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to deal with the backlog in passport applications when restrictions are eased; if the Passport Office be provided with additional resources; when consulates abroad will begin contacting applicants again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15144/21]
View answer773. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason staff at the Passport Office are not deemed essential workers; the number of passport applications currently awaiting processing; if he will seek to have a full staff rota returned to the Passport Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15294/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 742, 746, 747, 751, 768, 769, 771 and 773 together.
In line with Government guidance that, at Level 5 of the National Framework on Living with COVID-19 only essential work should take place, the Passport Service continues to provide a high quality essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19.
This essential service is available for those who are required to travel due to the death or serious illness of a family member or meet the criteria for a reasonable excuse for non-essential travel as defined in the recent amendment to the Health Act 1947, which came into effect on 1 February 2021. Supporting documentation will be required in such cases. In order to facilitate the return of travel documents which may have been submitted in support of a passport application, all documents will be registered so that they can be returned for emergency travel or for non-essential travel with a reasonable excuse.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for non-essential travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
Irish citizens who are resident overseas should make contact through the local Irish Embassy or Consulate General.
At present, there are approximately 71,300 Passport Online applications in the system. There are currently approximately 4,200 paper based applications in the system.
The Passport Service has a comprehensive plan in place to resume all services, in line with the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. When operations resume at Level 4, all applications received via Passport Online will be processed. The Passport Service is confident, taking into account measures to ensure a safe workplace, that any Passport Online backlog can be cleared in six to eight weeks.
The Passport Service plans to resume processing of routine paper based applications such as Passport Express, Northern Ireland Passport Express and applications for Foreign Birth Registrations at Level 3 of the framework.
