Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
665. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when it is intended that that Passport Express services will resume; if his attention has been drawn to the serious impact the delay in resuming this service is having on passport applicants who are required to submit documentation in support of their applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31319/21]
View answerThe Passport Service scaled up to more normal operational levels on 4 May 2021, in line with the phased easing of restrictions set out in “COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Plan Ahead”.
Passport Online will continue to be the priority channel given the efficiencies that are in-built into the system for both the applicant and the Passport Service. The processing of an online application is up to four times as fast as a paper application. In addition, the use of Passport Online can facilitate social distancing, given that a renewal application for an adult does not require the signature of a witness.
Applicants who need to submit supporting documentation for their application, such as first time applicants or applications on behalf of children can use the Passport Online service and submit the documentation required directly to the Passport Service via the address provided in the application process.
Passport Online can be accessed by first time applicants, both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. All Irish citizens, including children, can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world.
The Passport Service has a great deal of experience in dealing with peaks in demand, and we are confident, taking into account measures to ensure a safe workplace that the commitment made to clear all applications on hand at the end of April within 6-8 weeks is on target to be met. Simple Adult Renewals continue to be processed within 10 working days.
The Passport Service plans to resume processing of paper based applications such as Passport Express and Northern Ireland Passport Express as soon as possible. There are currently approximately 1,500 paper based applications in the system.
