Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 4 May 1994

Vol. 442 No. 3

Written Answers. - OAP Passports.

Jim Mitchell

Ceist:

67 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will confirm that where an old age pensioner applies for a passport he is charged £10 but if his spouse is under pension age her passport would cost £45; his views on whether in cases where a spouse is dependent on their pensioner husband the spouse's passport will also be charged at the old age pension rate rather than the £45 rate for a normal passport; the costs for passports for old age pensioners less well discharged in the other 11 European Union countries; and if he will make a statement in relation to a specific case (details supplied).

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring):

The statutory instrument which determines the level of passport fees provides for the issue of a three year passport for a fee of £10 in respect of persons who are either under 18 years of age or over 65 years of age. The fee for a standard passport for persons outside these categories is £45.

As far as is practicable the passport fee structure is designed to accommodate potential hardship cases. However, it is also desirable for administrative purposes to standardise fee levels as far as possible. It would be administratively difficult to introduce a variable scale which related to factors such as income and dependency.

While some member states of the European Union have provision for passport fees to be waived in cases of proven inability to pay, in so far as I have been able to establish in the limited time available, no member state has made special arrangements specifically for old age pensioners of limited means.

Insufficient details were provided to identify the application referred to by the Deputy. If further details are provided to my office, I will arrange to investigate the matter further.