Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
861. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff currently working in the passport section; if staff from the passport section have been redeployed to other Departments during the current level 5 lockdown; if so, their role in those Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19512/21]
View answerThe Passport Service is composed of three constituent offices located in Mount Street, Dublin, Balbriggan, County Dublin and South Mall, Cork. The total number of staff employed across all offices of the Passport Service is 458.
To assist with the wider State response to COVID-19, Passport Service personnel have been redeployed, at the request of different Departments, into other, essential public service roles, such as contact tracing for the HSE, assisting the Department of Social Protection to facilitate the processing of COVID-19 related benefits, providing consular assistance to Irish citizens overseas and assisting the Department of Health.
In line with Government guidance for Level 5, the Passport Service continues to provide an essential service in line with Government measures to reduce social contact and combat the spread of COVID-19. Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or for travel with a reasonable excuse, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
The Passport Service continues to operate its Customer Service Hub by WebChat to facilitate customer queries.
