With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service regrets that this application was not checked within the current average turnaround time of 40 working days. The Passport Service contacted the applicant on 17 November 2021 to request a document that was required to complete the application. A document has been submitted by the applicant and the application is progressing through the processing system.
With regard to the applicant's previous passport, this passport was issued over 20 years ago and is not an acceptable form of identification for the purposes of issuing a new passport. For that reason, the Passport Service requested a current form of photo identification.
The processing times for all passport applications are based on current average application turnaround times and apply to passport applications that are fully complete, where all required supporting documentation has been correctly submitted to the Passport Service by the applicant.
This application currently has an estimated issue date of 3 February 2022. If the applicant has a travel emergency, they can contact the Passport Service Customer Service Hub via webchat (www.dfa.ie/passports/contact/) or telephone (01.671.1633).
