Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
41. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if it is not mandatory to possess a PPS number in order to apply for a passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14942/24]
View answerThe Passport Service has issued over 300,000 passports to date this year. The majority of online adult renewal applications issue within two working days and over 90% of applicants now apply online.
It is not mandatory to have a Personal Publi Service (PPS) Number in order to apply for a passport. Applicants can leave this section blank when applying through Passport Online or through Post Passport. However for applicants resident in Ireland the inclusion of their PPS number can assist in expediting the process.
In the case of a first time adult passport applicant resident in Ireland, government-issued photographic identification confirming the applicant's identity is required. The most efficient way for an applicant to verify their identity is by submitting a copy of their Public Services Card. A Public Services Card, issued by the Department of Social Protection, satisfies the requirement for government-issued photographic identification.
In 2023, the Passport Online service was upgraded to allow the Passport Service to access General Register Office (GRO) birth records using the applicant’s PPS Number. This integration benefits a significant cohort of first time child applicants who are born in Ireland. Once their PPS Number is submitted through the Passport Online service, these applicants are no longer required to submit a physical birth certificate as these are now received digitally from the GRO. Since last year, almost 70,000 birth certificates have been digitally received by the Passport Service from the GRO. This upgrade has helped reduce the administrative burden for the applicant. Further information on the documentation required for an Irish passport is available on my Department's website at www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/documentary-requirements/.
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. Passport Online is now available to 99.9% of all applicants across the world. I would ask the Deputy to encourage his constituents to apply online for the quickest, cheapest and most efficient service.
