Passport Services

Tuesday, 18 April 2023

Questions (116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

116. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passports that issued to first-time applicants in 2022 and to date in 2023. [17055/23]

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117. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of foreign birth passport applications made in 2022 and to date in 2023; and the number foreign birth passports that issued in the corresponding timeframe. [17056/23]

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Catherine Murphy

Question:

118. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications made outside of this jurisdiction in 2022 and to date in 2023; and the number of passports that issued outside of this jurisdiction in the corresponding timeframe. [17057/23]

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Catherine Murphy

Question:

119. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide a schedule, by embassy and or consulate, in respect of passport applications and documents issued in 2022 and to date in 2023. [17058/23]

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Catherine Murphy

Question:

120. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications in the system as of 10 April 2023; the number of these that are on hold pending receipt of additional information; and the number of passports overdue for issuing to the applicant. [17059/23]

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Catherine Murphy

Question:

121. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applicants that had to resubmit photographs in 2022 and to date in 2023. [17060/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 to 121, inclusive, together.

The Passport Service is successfully meeting the current high demand for passports. All turnaround times are at their target level and there are no backlogs. Over 322,000 passports have been issued to date in 2023. The busy season for passports in 2023 is underway, and demand forecasts indicate that the Passport Service will issue just under 1.1 million passports this year.

The Passport Service has implemented operational and staffing plans for 2023, which aim to ensure that excellent customer service is maintained during periods of peak demand. The Passport Service Customer Service Hub is responding to 100% of customers who call the Passport Service.

Following a strategic media and communications campaign that was rolled out in December, the Passport Service received over 148,000 applications in January, the second highest monthly figure on record. Over 92% of these applicants applied online. Passport Online is the quickest, easiest and most cost effective way to apply for a passport. It is accessible for passport renewals from every country in the world, and for first time applicants in over 50 countries worldwide. The expansion of Passport Online for first time applicants worldwide continues to be rolled out.

As of 12 April 2023, there were 81,110 fully complete applications under processing by the Passport Service. There were a further 67,646 applications which were awaiting further action by the applicant. As of 12 April 2023 there were 1,570 applications which were past their issue by date. The vast majority of these applications relate to very complex or sensitive cases that may involve citizenship, guardianship or legal issues. These require very thorough examination by experienced staff and can take longer to process.

The number of passports that issued to first-time applicants who applied in 2022 and to date in 2023 are outlined below in tabular form.

Year	Passports issued to first time applicants
2022	242,238
2023 (to 11 April)	61,505

The number of passport applications received and passports issued to applicants who provided a Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) certificate in 2022 and to date in 2023 are outlined below in tabular form.

Year	Passport applications received from applicants who provided an FBR certificate	Passports issued to applicants who provided an FBR certificate
2022	29,206	26,398
2023 (to 11 April)	8,199	8,321

The number of FBR applications received (with supporting documents) and FBR applications approved in 2022 and to date in 2023 are outlined below in tabular form.

Year	FBR applications received (with supporting documents)	FBR applications approved
2022	27,694	20,418
2023	8,420 (to 11 April)	11,284 (to 7 April)

The number of passport applications received and passports issued for applicants residing outside the island of Ireland in 2022 and in 2023 to date are outlined below in tabular form.

Year	Passport applications received from applicants residing outside the island of Ireland	Passports issued to applicants residing outside the island of Ireland
2022	208,434	180,294
2023 (to 11 April)	75,855	52,550

The number of passport applications received and passports issued for applicants residing in Northern Ireland in 2022 and in 2023 to date are outlined below in tabular form.

Year	Passport applications received from applicants residing in Northern Ireland	Passports issued to applicants residing in Northern Ireland
2022	112,370	102,865
2023 (to 11 April)	45,794	32,648

The number of requests for photo resubmissions made by the Passport Service in 2022 and to date in 2023 are outlined below in tabular form. The number of requests for photo resubmissions in 2022 represents just 6% of the total 1,085,000 passports that were issued by the Passport Service last year.

Year	Requests for photo resubmissions
2022	63,450
2023 (to 11 April)	30,089

The Passport Service was unable to compile the requested figures in relation to applications received and passports issued via Irish embassies and consulates in time for the Parliamentary response. The Passport Service will share these figures directly with the Deputy.

Question No. 117 answered with Question No. 116.

Question No. 118 answered with Question No. 116.