Skip to main content
Normal View

Passport Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 March 2022

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

Questions (56, 57, 58)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

56. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of urgent passport query forms his Department has processed per month in 2021 and to date in 2022 from Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16893/22]

View answer

Catherine Murphy

Question:

57. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of calls to the Oireachtas members query line that were processed per month in 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16894/22]

View answer

Catherine Murphy

Question:

58. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of parliamentary questions he has answered in regard to individual passport applications as opposed to systematic processing queries in 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16895/22]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 to 58, inclusive, together.

The monthly figures requested by the Deputy for parliamentary questions and calls to the Oireachtas Passport Line are outlined below in tabular form. In addition, a table outlining the number of representations received by the Passport Service in relation to passport applications is also included.

The Passport Service does not track the number of urgent passport query forms received as these can be received through multiple channels, including as attachments to representations and to parliamentary questions.

In response to the high volume of applications being submitted to the Passport Service, a temporary phone line was established in October 2021 to respond to Oireachtas Members' queries on urgent passport cases.

In each case raised by an Oireachtas Member, the Passport Service reviews the application in question. However, applications can only be expedited in cases of genuine emergency such as a need for urgent medical treatment overseas or the death of a family member abroad. Such applications are expedited through the Travel Emergency service.

In cases where the estimated issue-by date has passed and the application is fully complete, the Passport Service will prioritise the application to ensure that no further delay is experienced.

Parliamentary Questions relating to individual passport applications

2021

PQs received

January

13

February

8

March

19

April

18

May

21

June

26

July

71

August

0

September

86

October

70

November

92

December

39

2022

January

29

February

73

March (to date)

174

Passport Service Oireachtas Line Calls and Queries

Date

Calls Handled

Total Number of Queries

October 2021

407

807

Nov 2021

1197

1504

Dec 2021

1099

1390

Jan 2022

1033

1360

Feb 2022

1689

2686

As of 25 March 2022

1181

1856

Representations related to passport applications

Date

Number of representations received

2021

January

300

February

200

March

160

April

259

May

311

June

257

July

1672

August

1777

September

2262

October

2506

November

1686

December

1074

2022

January

2371

February

2630

As of 25 March 2022

2371

Question No. 57 answered with Question No. 56.
Question No. 58 answered with Question No. 56.
Top
Share