Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2024
123. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if in the instance of a first passport application there is a necessity of the identity verification form section 7 to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána or whether any witness from the list provided on the gov.ie website is suitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7626/24]
View answerThe Passport Service is successfully meeting high demand for passports with turnaround times at or well-ahead of target and no backlogs.
In 2023, over 1 million applications were received and over 950,000 passports were issued. So far in 2024, the Passport Service has issued over 143,000 passports.
In order to verify the identity of a passport applicant, and in the case of children, the consent of their guardians, the Passport Service requires certain forms to be witnessed.
There are certain passport applications for first time applicants resident in Ireland that require forms to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána. The witnessing of these forms is a vital element of the identity verification process for the Passport Service, as it provides initial assurance that the person in the photograph is the same person submitting the passport application form. These include:
• Certificate of Identity on Post Passport (paper) applications (section 8 and 9 of the application form)
• Identity Verification Forms for First time adult online applications
• Child Identity and Consent Forms for First time child online applications.
Section 7 of the Post Passport paper application form where parents and guardians give consent to this issuance of a passport to their child does not require a Garda signature and can be verified by any of the approved witnesses. A full list of approved witnesses and guidance for having passport forms witnessed is available at my Department's website - www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/how-to-get-your-application-witnessed/.
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. The Irish passport was recently ranked 3rd in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to over 190 countries.
Accordingly, there is a rigorous checking process in place for first time applications. 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.
The Passport Online service offers Irish citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a user-friendly, efficient service that consistently offers processing times up to 4 times faster than paper-based passport renewal applications.
I would ask the Deputy to encourage their constituents to apply for their passports through Passport Online, as the quickest, easiest and most cost effective way to apply for a passport.
