Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
102. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs in the case of an individual who has lost two passports in ten years, is there a way to appeal their inclusion on the restricted list of passports where it can be proven that it was a genuine loss of a passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31354/23]
View answerAll passport applications are subject to the terms of the Passports Act, 2008 as amended (“the Act”). The Act provides a legal basis for the various policies and practices which are applied by the Passport Service in the issuing of passports.
Section 9 of the Act makes provision for the Minister to issue passports for different periods of validity.
Any adult citizen who loses one Irish passport can apply for and will be issued with a full 10 year passport. Where the person loses two or more passports and where these passports are still valid, a passport of restricted duration will be issued. On expiry of this restricted passport, the applicant can apply for and may then be issued with a full 10 year passport. The decision to restrict the validity of a passport is made following an examination of the applicant’s personal passport history.
This policy is in place to protect the integrity of the Irish passport and to mitigate against fraud. The Passport Service takes its responsibility to protect the integrity of the Irish passport very seriously. The Irish passport has a strong international reputation due to the strength of the security features within the passport book and the robust processes involved in its issuance. It is also currently ranked 5th in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 189 countries.
It is the implementation of the policies and practices in place that helps to ensure the Passport Service maintains its high ranking on the Henley Global Passport Index.
