I propose to take Questions Nos. 110, 111, 112 and 113 together.
The Passport Service has issued over 380,000 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.
In October 2021, the Passport Service established a phone line to respond to Oireachtas Members' queries on urgent passport cases. It is important to note that this phone line does not function as a means of expediting passport applications.
Since April 2023, a dedicated passport portal has existed for Members of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland where they can raise passport queries on behalf of their constituents. This online portal operates on a similar basis to the Oireachtas phone line and provides an efficient way for MLAs to:
• Log a request for an update on the current status of a constituent’s passport application; and/or
• Notify the Passport Service of a travel emergency of a constituent and provide supporting documents.
The enquiring office will receive a current status update on the application and if the application is past the issue-by date or if there is a genuine travel emergency, the Passport Service will follow up directly with the applicant. All queries are handled within 2-3 working days, and it operates from 09.00 to 16.30, Monday to Friday.
Irish citizens resident in Northern Ireland can also contact the Customer Service Hub of the Passport Service directly by phone or webchat to receive a status update on their application or to apply for an emergency passport. The Customer Support Hub has handled over 160,000 calls and webchats this year to date, an average of 10,000 calls and webchats per week.
The number of passport queries raised by MLAs through the online portal since it was launched are set out below, in tabular form.
|
Month
|
Queries
|
|
Month
|
Queries
|
|
Apr-23
|
79
|
|
May-23
|
196
|
|
Jun-23
|
162
|
|
Jul-23
|
120
|
|
Aug-23
|
41
|
|
Sep-23
|
16
|
|
Oct-23
|
16
|
|
Nov-23
|
9
|
|
Dec-23
|
10
|
|
Jan-24
|
10
|
|
Feb-24
|
13
|
|
Mar-24
|
17
|
A total of 689 enquiries have been received from MLAs since the portal opened in April 2023. The number of enquiries received compared to the number of applications received from Northern Ireland is modest. While public representatives often hear of the most complex and pressing cases, the overwhelming majority of passport applicants have their passport processed without any recourse to their local representative. For example, in March 2024 11,851 applications were received from residents of Northern Ireland and only 17 enquiries were made through the MLA Portal.
Given the limited numbers of enquiries raised, there are no plans at present for a designated telephone line for Members of the Legislative Assembly.
With regard to the Deputy's request for a briefing for elected representatives in Northern Ireland, the Passport Service would be happy to provide a briefing. My Department will work to facilitate this through the appropriate channels.
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.
Demand for passports from Northern Ireland remains steady and represents about 12% of total applications received by the Passport Service. 89% of applicants resident in Northern Ireland applied through Passport Online last year.
More than half of all simple adult online renewals issue within two working days, meaning that for many the online renewal service is faster than the four-day urgent appointment service offered at the counter in the Passport Office in Dublin and Cork. First-time applications are the most complex and it is therefore not possible to process these at an in-person appointment. It is important to note that the Passport Service public counters do not function as a walk-in service for passport queries. The urgent appointment service operates by appointment only through an online booking system.
It is worth noting that only approximately 1% of all passports issue through the public counters in Cork and Dublin.
In view of the fact that the overwhelming majority of passport applicants apply online and the considerable benefits of Passport Online for all of our citizens, the Department is of the view that a business case cannot currently be made for opening an additional passport office in Northern Ireland. The Passport Service will continue to consider ways it can improve its service to all citizens regardless of where they live.
I would ask the Deputy to encourage his constituents to apply online for the quickest, cheapest and most efficient service.
