Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2023
92. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason it is not possible for an initial assessment of paper based passport applications to be done upon receipt of such applications so that applicants can be notified of missing or incorrect documentation in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44865/23]
View answer93. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason that when a person submits a paper-based passport application and is notified of missing documentation, they are returned to the back of queue for processing when they submit the correct documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44866/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together.
The peak busy season for passports in 2023, has now passed and demand forecasts indicate that the Passport Service will issue around 1 million passports this year.The Passport Service is successfully meeting high demand for passports and has issued over 830,000 passports to date in 2023. Between 2,000 and 3,500 passports are being issued every day. All turnaround times are at their target level and there are no backlogs. The Passport Service Customer Service Hub is responding to an average of 10,000 queries per week on phones and webchat.
The turnaround times outlined on my Department's website apply to fully complete and correct applications, and that they are estimates based on current average processing times. Applications that are incomplete or incorrect will take longer.
The current passport processing times are: :
• Online simple adult renewal - 10 working days
• Online child/complex adult renewal - 15 working days
• Online first time application, adult or child - 20 working days
• Post Passport via An Post, adult or child - 8 weeks
All passport applications require supporting documentation to some degree, whether it is a photo uploaded online for an adult's renewal application, or documents necessary to validate the identity and entitlement to Irish citizenship of a first time applicant. In the cases of children's applications, witnessed identity and consent forms are required to ensure that guardians have consented to the issuance of a passport for the child.
In cases where insufficient or incorrect documents are received by the Passport Service, every effort is made to let the applicant know as soon as possible. It is currently not possible for the Passport Service to address issues with applications earlier in the process due to the volume of applications that are being received. Applications enter a queue and are checked in order of date received.
The Passport Service has had a system in place since 2022 whereby applications do not go to the back of the queue following a request for further documents. When the Passport Service receives the required additional documentation from the applicant, the application is prioritised for checking.
In cases of genuine emergency, applicants can contact the dedicated Travel emergency team that work to expedite passport applications in cases such as a need for urgent medical treatment overseas or the death of a family member abroad. Travel Emergency can be contacted through the Customer Service Hub.
The Passport Service also offers an Urgent Appointment Service whereby applicants who need to renew their passport urgently can book an appointment at either the Dublin or Cork passport offices. The Dublin passport office can issue a passport within 1 or 4 days, while the Cork passport office can issue a passport in 4 days. Applicants who have already submitted an application but find that they need to travel urgently while it is being processed can make an appointment through the Urgent Appointment Service and their original application will be cancelled once their passport is issued.
Passport Online is now by far the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to apply for a passport. It is a multi-award-winning online platform, which places the Irish Passport Service amongst the most innovative in the world.
In recent weeks, the Passport Service rolled out Passport Online for first time applicants to an additional 35 countries, including Turkey, Argentina and Iraq. This means that Passport Online can now be used by 99.9% of all passport applicants worldwide.
The Passport Service continues to be in an excellent position to meet the demand forecast for the remainder of this year. I would ask the Deputy to encourage your constituents to apply online for the quickest, cheapest and most efficient service.
