Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
417. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of completed passports that were physically collected by applicants or by persons on behalf of the applicant at the passport office on a monthly basis from February 2020 to September 2021, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46563/21]
View answer418. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of persons who were turned away from the public office of the passport office on a weekly basis from March 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46564/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 417 and 418 together.
The Passport Service maintained operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, notwithstanding the fact that the processing of passports requires physical attendance on site to deliver this service. As a result of well implemented safety protocols, our staff were able to assist citizens both at home and abroad who required passports for a range of emergency and urgent personal, business or legal reasons, or who had compelling humanitarian needs to travel.
In the first four months of this year 3,000 urgent passports, were issued to citizens who had either urgent personal or humanitarian needs for a passport. While schedules for urgent situations are not maintained, on a case by case basis, issued passports have been collected by citizens in person when the postal service was not an effective delivery option.
The public offices of the Passport Service in Cork and in Mount Street have been closed in line with COVID-19 public health restrictions and the public have complied fully with those restrictions. While the pandemic has massively disrupted Passport and other public services, I am pleased that so far this year we have managed to have multiple interactions with our citizens by phone and online, provided over 300,000 passports since 4 May while our emergency services have been maintained for those with a medical emergency or death of a family member abroad. There was one security related incident this year which has been reported to An Garda Síochána, where people were removed from our premises to ensure the safety of staff.
I wish to inform the Deputy that, in line with our continued scaling up of services, the Passport Office in Mount Street resumed its Urgent Appointment Service for renewal of Passports on Monday, 27 September 2021. The Urgent Appointment Service for renewal of passports will be available to people who unexpectedly require their passport renewed at short notice and opt for this fee based service to do so.
Applicants are now able to book an appointment to attend the public passport office in Mount Street. Passport applicants who require a same day passport renewal can book appointments 3 days in advance. Applicants who require a four day renewal service can book appointments 3 weeks in advance.
The Passport Service will continue to prioritise its emergency service for those who require a passport for a medical emergency or death of a family member abroad.
