Gary Gannon
Question:395. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of first-time passport applications that have been escalated in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022. [22734/22]
View answerTuesday, 10 May 2022
Questions (395, 396, 397, 398)
Gary Gannon
Question:396. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of first-time passport applications that have been escalated more than once in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022. [22735/22]
View answerGary Gannon
Question:397. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the average length of time between a first-time passport application being escalated and the passport being issued. [22736/22]
View answerGary Gannon
Question:398. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total number of first-time passport applications made to his Department in 2022; and the number of applications that went over 30 working days. [22737/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 395, 396, 397 and 398 together.
The Passport Service does not maintain records of passport applications that have been expedited.
The Passport Service has a dedicated Travel Emergency team that work to expedite passport applications in cases of genuine emergency such as a need for urgent medical treatment overseas or the death of a family member abroad.
In these cases, if the application is fully complete and has all required supporting documentation, the Passport Service will aim to issue the passport to the applicant in a matter of days, whilst still carrying out all the necessary checks to ensure that the integrity of the Irish passport is maintained.
If the Passport Service becomes aware of an application that has passed its estimated issue by date or has experienced delays due to an error on the side of the Passport Service, the Passport Service will prioritise the application to ensure that no further delays are experienced by the applicant.
The vast majority of applications are processed within the turnaround times outlined below:
- 10 working days for Simple Adult online renewals
- 15 working days for Complex or child online renewals
- 30 working days for First Time Applications on Passport Online
- 8 weeks for An Post’s mail-in “Passport Express” service
The Passport Service has recently reduced the average turnaround time for first time applications from 40 working days to 30 working days. This reduction in processing time is as a direct result of the staffing and resources my Department has invested in the Passport Service. The Passport Service is focused on reducing this processing time even further in the coming months.
The Passport Service has received 100,000 first time applications since the beginning of this year. The Passport Service has issued 70,000 first time passports since the beginning of this year.
The average turnaround time for first time applications received prior to 7 March 2022 was 40 working days. First time applications received after this date had an average turnaround time of 35 working days, until 19 April when the average turnaround time for first time applications received from that date was reduced to 30 working days. Therefore, all first time applications received prior to 19 April will have an turnaround time of greater than 30 days.
The Passport Service is currently experiencing a high demand for first time passports. Out of a total of 183,000 passport applications currently with the Passport Service, 88,000 or 48% are for first time applications. Approximately, half of all first time applications are for children.
37,700 or 43% of current first time applications are incomplete. This means that the applicant has either not sent any documentation after they apply online or additional documentation has been requested by the Passport Service. The Passport Service simply cannot process applications that are not complete.
There is a rigorous checking process in place for first time applications. The Passport Service must ensure the identity of the applicant and their entitlement to Irish citizenship. In the case of children, it is essential that the Passport Service verifies the consent of the child’s guardians before a passport can issue. This ensures that the Passport Service protects the integrity of the passport itself and the rights of the child and their guardians.
Due to the intensive analysis and extra measures involved by highly trained and experienced staff, first time passport applications currently take 30 working days to process. In more complex cases, unfortunately, it can take longer.
My Department has been pro-actively planning to ensure the necessary resources are in place to meet the current and expected level of demand in 2022 and is making an unprecedented investment in the Passport Service in terms of additional staff and improvements to the passport processing and customer service systems.
Since June 2021, over 300 members of staff at all grades have been assigned to the Passport Service. In addition to this, the Passport Service is running its own recruitment competition for Temporary Clerical Officers with a view to assigning additional staff and to maintain staffing levels to meet the expected demand in the coming months. This competition is currently underway and once completed, will see staffing numbers of over 900 at the Passport Service, which represents a doubling of staff numbers since last summer.
It is a priority for the Passport Service to improve processing times for first time applications in 2022. Along with increased staffing, the Passport Service is implementing a number of further measures that will positively impact the current turnaround times and improve customer service:
- Intensive training of new staff and upskilling of existing staff is underway to increase the resources that can process complex applications.
- Passport Service staff are working overtime with a focus on prioritising first time applications with a view to reducing the current turnaround time.
- A new document management process has been put in place that allows for a much quicker turnaround time when an applicant is asked to submit additional documents. Once these documents are received, they will be prioritised and complete applications will be processed in 3 weeks. This will greatly reduce the waiting time for applicants who are missing documents in their initial application.
My Department is confident that the measures that have been implemented will help to reduce passport turnaround times in the course of 2022, particularly for first time applications, and will assist the Passport Service in meeting the high demand forecast for this year.
Question No. 396 answered with Question No. 395.
Question No. 397 answered with Question No. 395.
Question No. 398 answered with Question No. 395.
Question No. 399 answered with Question No. 391.
Question No. 400 answered with Question No. 391.