Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 February 2022
396. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the passport reminder service for passport expiry dates on his Department’s website is still active; if so, if consideration is being given to highlight the facility; if his Department has engaged with airlines on highlighting the need to check passport expiry dates when purchasing flights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7548/22]
View answerThe Passport Service takes every opportunity to remind citizens to check their passport validity including through messaging on the Department's website, via social media and also as part of our extensive media campaigns. My Department recently ran a multimedia campaign reminding passport holders to renew their passports. This successful campaign included two weeks of advertisements on radio and in national newspapers and is continuing at present with targeted advertisements in the Aviva Stadium for the duration of the Rugby 6 Nations encouraging citizens to renew their passports online.
This campaign appears to have contributed significantly to the large volume of passport applications received in recent weeks. In January 2022, the Passport Service received over 137,000 new passport applications. This is the highest volume of monthly applications ever received. The Passport Service estimates that up to 1.7 million passport applications will be received this year.
In addition, whenever the opportunity arises I regularly emphasise the need for citizens to check their passport validity before booking travel and to apply for their passport in plenty of time. The assistance of Deputies in communicating these messages to constituents is appreciated.
The Passport Service is currently considering further measures which might be introduced to encourage citizens to check the validity of their passports in plenty of time before travel. These might include an automatic reminder notification that could be sent to passport holders in advance of their renewal date. There are a number of important factors to be considered, however, in relation to such a passport renewal reminder service including; GDPR constraints, changes in contact details due to length of time between passport renewals, and the sensitive handling of cases where the passport holder may have passed away since their last passport renewal.
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. The Passport Issuance and Processing System (PIPS) contract was signed in September 2021 and my Department is actively working with the vendor to outline the high level design of the new system. The implementation of a passport renewal reminder service is also under consideration in the development of the new system.
With regard to the Deputy's question relating to engagement with airlines, the Passport Service is a member of the National Air Transport Facilitation Committee chaired by the Department of Transport and continues to examine effective ways of engaging with airlines on this matter. A senior official from the Passport Service recently attended a meeting between my Department and the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) and highlighted the importance of citizens checking the validity of their passport before booking travel.
I strongly urge anyone who is considering travelling overseas this year, particularly families with young children, to check the validity of their passports before booking travel and to apply for their passports online in plenty of time. The Passport Online Service is four times quicker than paper-based applications for adult and child renewal applications and is the fastest, easiest and safest way to apply for a passport. Over 90% of applicants now apply online compared to 47% of applications received online in 2019.
Passport Online can be accessed by all first time applicants, irrespective of age, 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.
