Paul Murphy
Question:634. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department will cut all trade in products and services between Ireland and Israel (details supplied). [63461/21]
View answerForeign Policy
Questions (634)
Written answers
Ireland maintains bilateral relations with the State of Israel on a range of issues, including through political and diplomatic engagement and in respect of economic and trade relations. The Government does not support boycotts on Israel. Such actions would be ineffective and counterproductive.
Ireland’s position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory informs our engagement with the State of Israel across a range of bilateral issues, including our trade, and will continue to do so. The EU and its Member States, including Ireland, are wholly opposed to Israeli settlements, which are contrary to international law, and are damaging to the prospects of peace.
Ireland distinguishes between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967 in line with international law and relevant UN Resolutions and the long-standing position of the European Union. This position is common across all Government Departments and policy coherence is ensured through coordination at official level. My Department also ensures that there is information available for the public and companies regarding Ireland's policy on settlements via the Department's website.
Ireland continues to be active on these issues at the UN Security Council. On 21 December, at the Security Council debate on the situation in the Middle East, Ireland reiterated its call on Israel to halt illegal settlement activity and expressed concern at recent developments on the ground, including a record high rate of Palestinians impacted by demolitions, confiscations and evictions, as well as rising levels of violence across the occupied Palestinian territory.
I also conveyed in the strongest terms my concern regarding these matters directly to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, during my visit to the region in November 2021.
Foreign Birth Registration
Questions (635)
Michael Ring
Question:635. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a foreign birth registration application by a person (details supplied) has been received in view of the fact that this application was submitted in July 2020 and the person has not received an acknowledgement; when a foreign birth certificate will issue to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63551/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
The processing of Foreign Birth Registration has resumed and will be gradually scaling up in line with the recruitment of additional resources. Due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration process and the pause in the Service due to necessary Covid-19 restrictions, applicants are being advised that they should allow approximately 2 years for processing of Foreign Birth Registration applications at this time.
The application referenced was registered on 27 July 2020, and is being stored in a secure environment.
FBR staff continue to provide an emergency service for Foreign Birth Registration in cases of exceptional urgency, such as expectant parents, or stateless persons. Such applicants may contact the Passport Service directly.
My Department is fully committed to the continued allocation of additional resources over the coming period to assist with the processing of the Foreign Birth Registration applications currently on hand and the high volume of new applications anticipated this year.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (636)
Seán Haughey
Question:636. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will endorse the World Health Organisation COVID-19 Technology Access Pool to facilitate the sharing of knowledge by pharmaceutical companies to increase vaccine production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63560/21]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland fully supports international efforts to ensure an effective global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the need for fair access to knowledge, property rights, and technology.
My Department, through the Irish Aid programme, has responded with a global public health investment of €200 million over the past two years, with further Irish Aid investment in global public health to come this year. An insight from Irish Aid’s long-standing contribution to the flights against HIV and Ebola is that effective public health systems are essential to containing infectious diseases. Our response includes support to the WHO, to GAVI The Vaccines Alliance, and to the Global Fund for TB, HIV / AIDS and Malaria, as well as to health system strengthening in partner countries.
€8.5million in Irish Aid financing went to the COVAX facility last year and I have this week authorised a further €5 million to COVAX. This support complements the international vaccine sharing led by the Department of Health, on foot of a Government decision to donate up to 5 million doses to developing countries from Ireland’s surplus supply of COVID vaccines. In recent days, COVAX has reported the successful distribution of over 1 billion vaccines to 144 participating countries.
There are grounds for optimism that the WHO target of 70% of the world’s population receiving their primary vaccination by July this year can be achieved. Assuming global vaccine production continues at its current rate, it is estimated that total production of vaccines since their introduction a year ago will reach 19 billion by July, an increase of around 8 billion on total global production to the end of last year. The WHO estimates that a total of 12 billion doses would be required to achieve its 70% target, which suggests that distribution, rather than production, is the current challenge.
The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is an international legal agreement between all the member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO), of which Ireland is a member. Any proposal for a waiver of the current intellectual property protections is subject to negotiation at the WTO. Furthermore, International Trade is an EU competence, meaning the EU represents the coordinated position of the 27 Member States, including in discussions on TRIPS at the WTO. The Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment leads on our engagement with the WTO. Ireland will continue to participate constructively within the EU in relation to the proposal for COVID-19 waivers on intellectual property.
The EU has observed that access to intellectual property rights does not represent the primary obstacle to vaccine supply and access. The EU has argued that, amongst other things, limited numbers of skilled personnel, availability of raw materials and other inputs, complex supply chains, and the regulatory environment for the control and approval for each vaccine component, represent more significant bottlenecks to the production of COVID-19 vaccines. For those manufacturers in a position to resolve these bottlenecks, the EU position is that existing flexibilities within the TRIPS agreement can facilitate access to the required technologies.
In the meantime, Team Europe is actively working to reduce barriers to vaccine and medicine production and to ensure more rapid and equitable access to these technologies. Through a specific programme worth over €1 billion, entitled the MAV+ programme, the EU will help create an enabling environment for vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
The COVID Technology Access Pool, (C-TAP) was launched by the WHO and the Government of Costa Rica in 2020, to encourage the sharing of COVID-19 relevant technology, intellectual property and knowhow. The initiative is relevant to multiple Government Departments, including the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Foreign Affairs; Health; and Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The European Commission has been working with EU Member States including Ireland, international partners and stakeholders to define options for possible cooperation.
Ireland continues to promote the sharing of technology through various means, for example, the intellectual property underpinning Ireland’s COVID Tracker App has been shared to assist other countries in their contact tracing efforts.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (637)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:637. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will support the Covid-19 TRIPS waiver and the World Health Organisation COVID-19 Technology Access Pool in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63569/21]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland fully supports international efforts to ensure an effective global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the need for fair access to knowledge, property rights, and technology.
My Department, through the Irish Aid programme, has responded with a global public health investment of €200 million over the past two years, with further Irish Aid investment in global public health to come this year. An insight from Irish Aid’s long-standing contribution to the flights against HIV and Ebola is that effective public health systems are essential to containing infectious diseases. Our response includes support to the WHO, to GAVI The Vaccines Alliance, and to the Global Fund for TB, HIV / AIDS and Malaria, as well as to health system strengthening in partner countries.
€8.5million in Irish Aid financing went to the COVAX facility last year and I have this week authorised a further €5 million to COVAX. This support complements the international vaccine sharing led by the Department of Health, on foot of a Government decision to donate up to 5 million doses to developing countries from Ireland’s surplus supply of COVID vaccines. In recent days, COVAX has reported the successful distribution of over 1 billion vaccines to 144 participating countries.
There are grounds for optimism that the WHO target of 70% of the world’s population receiving their primary vaccination by July this year can be achieved. Assuming global vaccine production continues at its current rate, it is estimated that total production of vaccines since their introduction a year ago will reach 19 billion by July, an increase of around 8 billion on total global production to the end of last year. The WHO estimates that a total of 12 billion doses would be required to achieve its 70% target, which suggests that distribution, rather than production, is the current challenge.
The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is an international legal agreement between all the member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO), of which Ireland is a member. Any proposal for a waiver of the current intellectual property protections is subject to negotiation at the WTO. Furthermore, International Trade is an EU competence, meaning the EU represents the coordinated position of the 27 Member States, including in discussions on TRIPS at the WTO. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment leads on our engagement with the WTO. Ireland will continue to participate constructively within the EU in relation to the proposal for COVID-19 waivers on intellectual property.
The EU has observed that access to intellectual property rights does not represent the primary obstacle to vaccine supply and access. The EU has argued that, amongst other things, limited numbers of skilled personnel, availability of raw materials and other inputs, complex supply chains, and the regulatory environment for the control and approval for each vaccine component, represent more significant bottlenecks to the production of COVID-19 vaccines. For those manufacturers in a position to resolve these bottlenecks, the EU position is that existing flexibilities within the TRIPS agreement can facilitate access to the required technologies.
In the meantime, Team Europe is actively working to reduce barriers to vaccine and medicine production and to ensure more rapid and equitable access to these technologies. Through a specific programme worth over €1 billion, entitled the MAV+ programme, the EU will help create an enabling environment for vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
The COVID Technology Access Pool, (C-TAP) was launched by the WHO and the Government of Costa Rica in 2020, to encourage the sharing of COVID-19 relevant technology, intellectual property and knowhow. The initiative is relevant to multiple Government Departments, including the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Foreign Affairs; Health; and Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science. The European Commission has been working with EU Member States including Ireland, international partners and stakeholders to define options for possible cooperation.
Ireland continues to promote the sharing of technology through various means, for example, the intellectual property underpinning Ireland’s COVID Tracker App has been shared to assist other countries in their contact tracing efforts.
Foreign Birth Registration
Questions (638)
Michael Ring
Question:638. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a foreign birth registration application will be processed for a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63576/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
The processing of Foreign Birth Registration has resumed and will be gradually scaling up in line with the recruitment of additional resources. Due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration process and the pause in the Service due to necessary Covid-19 restrictions, applicants are being advised that they should allow approximately 2 years for processing of Foreign Birth Registration applications at this time.
The application referenced was registered on 21 December 2020, and is being stored in a secure environment.
FBR staff continue to provide an emergency service for Foreign Birth Registration in cases of exceptional urgency, such as expectant parents, or stateless persons. Such applicants may contact the Passport Service directly.
My Department is fully committed to the continued allocation of additional resources over the coming period to assist with the processing of the Foreign Birth Registration applications currently on hand and the high volume of new applications anticipated this year.
Humanitarian Access
Questions (639)
Róisín Shortall
Question:639. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps being taken to help alleviate the worsening famine situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63598/21]
View answerWritten answers
I am gravely concerned by the situation in Afghanistan, which is now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Nearly 23 million Afghans now face acute food insecurity. In response, the Government through its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme, Irish Aid, has provided over €4 million in humanitarian support for the people of Afghanistan since mid-August. This funding has been allocated to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and UNICEF respectively. This includes a donation of €1 million made to UNICEF in December. These emergency response programmes are addressing the urgent needs of the population, including providing food aid, treatment for severe acute malnutrition in children, and other essential services. Ireland’s humanitarian funding to Afghanistan increased fivefold in 2021 to over €5 million – with the remainder provided at the beginning of the year to Concern Worldwide, HALO Trust and the AHF.
In addition, Ireland contributes to support global funds and provide core funding to key agencies that allocate funding to Afghanistan, including the EU, WHO, UNHCR, IFRC, ICRC and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Ireland was the 9th largest donor to the CERF in 2021, providing €11 million. Since August, the CERF has allocated more than €68.6 million to Afghanistan. This year we will renew our multiyear partnership with CERF and increase our annual contribution from €10m to €11.5m, as announced by Minister Brophy at the CERF pledging conference in December.
Ireland will continue to engage, including at the UN Security Council, to promote human rights for all Afghans, especially for Afghan women and girls whose rights are being eroded, and in support of initiatives to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people. In my statement to the Security Council in September, I also urged the Taliban to facilitate full, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to allow life-saving support to reach all Afghans.
Departmental Data
Questions (640)
Catherine Murphy
Question:640. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of instances historically to date in 2022 in which consideration was given to a request by an Irish citizen to accept a title of nobility or honour in accordance with Article 40.2.2 of Bunreacht na hÉireann by date of consideration, name of requestor, title or honour concerned and the decision by the Government to approve or not to approve in tabular form; the legislative instrument which ensures the practical application of Article 40.2.2; if he will provide a schedule of persons who have made requests over this time period; if he will further indicate those that were refused and those that were approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1000/22]
View answerWritten answers
The reference in Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution to "title of nobility or of honour" has been interpreted, in accordance with advice from the Attorney General, as referring to honours conferred by or on behalf of a sovereign authority, the recipients of which become entitled, by the law or custom of the foreign State in question, to use prefixes to their names such as “Sir”, “Dame”, “Lord” or "Marquis”.
It is these types of award which are considered by Government. The table below lists instances over the past thirty years where the Government considered such awards. In the cases of awards conferred by the UK, the recipients of the awards in each instance are dual Irish-British citizens.
Awards which provide for the use of letters or marks of distinction after one's name; medals; ribbons; or academic honours are not regarded as conferring a title of nobility or of honour in this context.
In relation to the fourth, twelfth and thirteenth instances summarised below, the honours in question were extended to the Irish citizens concerned before the conferral was brought to the attention of the Government. No facility exists for retrospective approval. My Department regularly informs the authorities of countries concerned that the prior approval of the Government should be sought in instances where substantive awards are to be conferred on an Irish citizen.
It is noted that rights, privileges or dignities deriving from the award of a title of nobility or honour subsist solely within the jurisdiction conferring it and any other jurisdiction that may recognise rights, privileges or dignities as flowing from it. Under Irish law, such a title has no significance in terms of conferring rights, entitlements or dignities.
|
|
Date of Consideration |
Country Conferring the Award |
Title of Award |
Government Decision |
|
1. |
29/12/2000 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
2. |
11/07/2001 |
Malaysia |
Darhaj Panglima Jasa Negara, PJN, Kerhormat |
Approved |
|
3. |
08/06/2005 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
4. |
01/ 2006 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
No decision (no facility exists for retrospective approval) |
|
5. |
12/06/2008 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
6. |
07/05/2013 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
7. |
30/12/2013 |
UK |
Damehood (Commander of the Order) |
Approved |
|
8. |
10/06/2014 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
9. |
10/06/2014 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
10. |
09/06/2015 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
11. |
03/11/2015 |
Grenada |
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
Approved |
|
12. |
03/11/2015 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
No decision (no facility exists for retrospective approval) |
|
13. |
03/11/2015 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
No decision (no facility exists for retrospective approval) |
|
14. |
17/05/2016 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
Passport Services
Questions (641, 650, 677)
Michael Ring
Question:641. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue to a person (details supplied). [1063/22]
View answer
Danny Healy-Rae
Question:650. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1265/22]
View answer
James Lawless
Question:677. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2375/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 641, 650 and 677 together.
With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.
Diplomatic Representation
Questions (642)
Catherine Connolly
Question:642. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the situation of a person (details supplied); if he has made representations regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1081/22]
View answerWritten answers
I can reassure the Deputy that my Department is aware of this case and is continuing to provide consular assistance to the citizen through our Consular Assistance Unit in Dublin, the Embassy of Ireland in Abuja, and with assistance from the Embassy of France in Togo - as Ireland does not have diplomatic representation in the country.
My Department is also liaising with the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) who are engaged very regularly with the citizen, while we continue to provide all possible consular advice and support.
There has also been, and will continue to be, engagement with the Togolese authorities in relation to the humanitarian aspects of this case, and the importance of the citizen being allowed to return home as soon as possible.
As the Deputy will appreciate, as with all consular cases, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific details of the case. However, you can rest assured that my Department is continuing to engage on the matter.
Foreign Birth Registration
Questions (643, 644, 645, 646, 647, 648, 653)
Claire Kerrane
Question:643. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of current applications awaiting decision for citizenship through the foreign births registration. [1245/22]
View answerClaire Kerrane
Question:644. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff working on citizenship applications through foreign births registration. [1246/22]
View answerClaire Kerrane
Question:645. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of applications submitted for citizenship through the foreign births registration in 2020 and 2021. [1247/22]
View answerClaire Kerrane
Question:646. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of applications for citizenship through the foreign births registration that have taken longer than 18 months to process. [1248/22]
View answerClaire Kerrane
Question:647. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the length of time in months that decisions on citizenship were delayed for due to Covid-19. [1249/22]
View answerClaire Kerrane
Question:648. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has considered simplifying the process for citizenship for applicants with Irish ancestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1250/22]
View answer
John Brady
Question:653. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the foreign birth registration process; if the process is up and running; the current waiting times; the number of persons waiting to be registered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1320/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 643, 644, 645, 646, 647, 648 and 653 together.
My Department is responsible for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 (“the 1956 Act”), as amended.
The processing of Foreign Birth Registration has resumed and will be gradually scaling up in line with the recruitment of additional resources. At present, a total of 36 full time staff work on Foreign Births Registration. Due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration process, the large increase in applications received following the Brexit vote in the UK, and the pause in the Service due to necessary Covid-19 restrictions, applicants should allow approximately 2 years from the receipt of supporting documentation for processing of Foreign Birth Registration applications at this time. Before this increase in application volumes and Covid-19 restrictions, applications were typically processed within 6-9 months of receipt. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, and the subsequent reassignment of Foreign Birth Registration staff to assist in the provision of essential passport services, the Foreign Birth Registration Service was paused for nearly 15 months across the 2020-2021 period.
There are currently 32,000 applications for which documentation has been received, and which are awaiting processing. In 2020, documents were received for just over 16,000 applications, with 11,000 received in 2021. Of the applications currently on hand, just over 12,000 have been awaiting processing for more than 18 months.
As legislative provision for Foreign Birth Registration is made under the 1956 Act, any changes to application requirements would require amendment of the 1956 Act by the Oireachtas. As the Minister for Justice is responsible for citizenship matters, any such amendment would be a matter for the Department for Justice. In the context of the National Development Plan, my Department is making a major investment in the future of the Passport Service. Over the next couple of years, we will replace the core technology underpinning the service, which will deliver efficiencies and a more resilient passport and Foreign Birth Registration system.
Foreign Birth Registration staff continue to provide an emergency service for Foreign Birth Registration in cases of exceptional urgency, such as expectant parents, or stateless persons. In 2021, over 7,000 such applications were processed. Applicants who require an emergency service may contact the Passport Service directly.
My Department is fully committed to the continued allocation of additional resources over the coming period to assist with the processing of the Foreign Birth Registration applications currently on hand and the high volume of new applications anticipated this year.
Question No. 644 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 645 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 646 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 647 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 648 answered with Question No. 643.
Passport Services
Questions (649)
Danny Healy-Rae
Question:649. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures that are being taken to increase the volume of staff in the passport offices to deal with processing passport applications in particular for first time children applications which are taking up to 12 weeks to process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1263/22]
View answerWritten answers
Passport Service operations have been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as were many Government services. The Passport Service maintained operations throughout the pandemic, notwithstanding the fact that the processing of passports requires physical attendance on site to deliver this service.
Despite the disruptions related to the pandemic throughout last year, the Passport Service issued over 634,000 passports in 2021 and 45% of simple adult renewals issued within one business day.
My Department has been actively working with the Public Appointments Service to recruit additional permanent and temporary staff for assignment to the Passport Service. This recruitment drive has been underway since the last quarter of 2021 and will double the number of staff in the Passport Service from June 2021 levels. Over 180 additional staff are being assigned to the Passport Service in January alone and further staff will be assigned in February. I am confident that the additional staff currently being assigned to the Passport Service will help to reduce turnaround times and to respond to the current and anticipated high demand for passports in 2022.
The current passport processing times are:
- 10 working days for Simple Adult online renewals
- 15 working days for Complex or child online renewals
- 40 working days for First Time Applications on Passport Online
- 8 weeks for An Post’s mail-in “Passport Express” service
The aforementioned passport processing times are based on current average application turnaround times and relate to passport applications submitted to the Passport Service with required supporting documentation. When passport applicants do not provide all of the requisite documentation to the Passport Service, it takes much longer to process the application and issue a passport. Passport Service figures show that 45% of current applications are incomplete and the onus is on the applicant to submit the required documents to the Service. While the Passport Service makes every effort to contact applicants in such circumstances, their experience is that many applicants take weeks and sometimes months to send in the necessary documents.
The Passport Service continues to experience high demand for first time passports. These first time applications are necessarily complex to process, since they are essentially applications for Irish citizenship. The Passport Service must validate the true identity of the applicant and take measures to confirm the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship. It is the statutory responsibility of the Passport Service to protect the integrity of the Irish passport. Accordingly, a rigorous analysis process is in place to verify the identity and citizenship status of applicants.
In the case of first time passport applications for children, the consent of guardians must also be thoroughly validated. Due to the intensive analysis underpinning first time online passport applications, the processing time is 40 working days.
There are currently 29,000 first time child applications on hand with the Passport Service. Of these, almost 12,000 or 40% are incomplete applications that require additional documentation from the applicants’ guardians in order to complete the application and ensure that the child’s passport can be issued.
The Passport Service continually examines how to improve processing times and engagement with applicants. Preparation is currently underway for several system and service improvements that will enhance the customer service experience and will improve processing times.
In the context of the National Development Plan, my Department is making a major investment in the future of the Passport Service. Over the next couple of years, we will replace the core technology underpinning the service, which will deliver efficiencies and a more resilient passport system.
Budget 2022 also included an investment of an additional €10m in passport services in response to the increasing demand for passports both at home and abroad.
Question No. 650 answered with Question No. 641.
Passport Services
Questions (651, 665)
Danny Healy-Rae
Question:651. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1266/22]
View answerMichael Ring
Question:665. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will be issued for a child (details supplied) given they need to travel with their parents for an important family event. [2023/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 651 and 665 together.
With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport application to the applicant.
Question No. 652 answered with Question No. 619.
Question No. 653 answered with Question No. 643.