Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 July 2023
39. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he has given any consideration to implementing or has undertaken any review, report or research into the feasibility of sending notice of expiration of passports to all passport holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34549/23]
View answer40. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the estimated additional costs that would be accrued for the implementation of a renewal notice system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34551/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 40 together.
The Passport Service takes every opportunity to remind citizens to check their passport validity. Each year the Passport Service proactively plans for the demand forecasted for the following year. Part of this planning involves a public communications strategy carried out by my Department, with a view to ensuring passport demand is manageable throughout the year, by encouraging citizens to apply in plenty of time for their passport prior to travel. The Department rolls out extensive media and communications campaigns annually for the Passport Service that encourage citizens to “look before they book” and regularly check passport expiry dates.
The 2022 communications campaign for passports ran throughout the year over print, broadcast and digital mediums, as well as stadium, event and airport advertising. It included advertisements in national and local radio, as well as advertisements in national press and social media. My Department also issued a press release at the end of 2022, which contained a reminder to citizens to check the validity of their passports and to renew if required. This press release received significant coverage across national media.
My Department has rolled out a similar media and communications campaign for 2023, with a Digital First focus. The campaign aims to encourage citizens to check their passport before booking travel, and to apply for their passport online and in plenty of time. This campaign began in December, with digital, print and social media advertisements. Radio advertisements commenced in January, followed by outdoor advertising in February. All advertisements remind citizens to check the validity of their passports before booking travel.
Indications are that the campaign has had the desired effect. The Passport Service received over 148,000 applications in January, the second highest monthly figure on record. Over 92% of these applicants applied online. The number of applications coming in remains high, and the Passport Service has issued almost 600,000 passports to date in 2023.
The Passport Service has an obligation to balance its customer-centric aspirations with its data protection obligations. Unlike car tax or travel insurance, adult passports only expire every 10 years and individuals may have moved residence on multiple occasions in the interim.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the Department has a statutory obligation from a data protection perspective to only use personal data, including which may include home addresses or email addresses, where it is satisfied the data is accurate and up-to-date and would, therefore, be precluded from automatically using addresses used for the dispatch of passports 10 years ago.
In line with the Department’s Digital First Strategy, the new passport system being developed by the Department under the Passport Reform Programme 2022-2025 intends to allow this new passport system to interact with the Government’s Digital Postbox. Once this new passport system is live from 2025, it is envisaged that citizens applying for a passport for the first time or renewing their passport will be able to opt in to receive electronic communications from the Passport Office, including passport expiry reminder notices, via this Digital Postbox. Further information on the Government’s Digital Postbox is available at www.digitalpostbox.ie.
